The other four states were Kansas, Arkansas, Delaware and Vermont.
Four states saw significantly higher jobless rates last month: Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Wyoming and Utah. The largest increase was in Pennsylvania, where the rate rose to 5.3 percent from 4.9 percent.
The other 41 states were seen as having stable unemployment rates from March to April.
The national jobless rate was unchanged in April at 5 percent.
Over the past year, 37 states have added an appreciable number of jobs. Two states have lost jobs, and 11 states have seen job levels essentially unchanged.
The Kansas Bioscience Authority invested in and still houses Innara Health, which makes a product that helps premature babies learn to nurse. Innara Health and four other startups will be part of the sale of the KBA that gained legislative approval earlier this month. CREDIT COURTESY INNARA HEALTH
The beginning of May was a roller coaster of emotions for Innara Health CEO Michael Peck.
The results of a promising trial of his company’s NTrainer product, which helps premature babies learn to nurse, were unveiled April 30 at the annual meeting of the Pediatric Academic Societies in Baltimore.
The next day the Kansas Legislature approved a bill to allow the sale of the Kansas Bioscience Authority — a quasi-governmental agency that nurtured and still houses Peck’s business — as part of an ongoing attempt to temporarily patch an underwater state budget.
Peck said his company is far enough along that it can weather the sale, but it will cause some hassles. And he sympathizes with KBA’s employees, whom he has enjoyed working with as his company grows.
“The rug has been pulled out from under them,” Peck said. “From our seat it’s not great, that’s for sure. I would rather that we don’t have investors in an impaired situation.”
The KBA, based in Olathe, was created in 2004 under former Gov. Kathleen Sebelius as a means of incubating startup companies in the fields of human and animal health — part of a “bioscience corridor” between Kansas City and Manhattan.
But it was hit by scandal four years ago when an audit determined that a former director spent some funds inappropriately. It also fell out of favor with some Republicans skeptical of investing public dollars in private sector startups.
The state’s annual payment to the KBA dipped precipitously in recent years as its funding became a target for Gov. Sam
The Kansas Bioscience Authority, with offices in Olathe, was created in 2004 to leverage Kansas City’s animal health corridor and make eastern Kansas a destination for bioscience investment. CREDIT ANDY MARSO / HEARTLAND HEALTH MONITOR
Brownback and Republican leaders looking to balance budgets in the wake of large income tax cuts passed in 2012.
Last year, KBA leaders laid off half the staff and announced it would halt business investments.
Senate Minority Leader Anthony Hensley, a Democrat from Topeka, said the KBA had started with great promise and bipartisan support. Now it is one State Finance Council vote from being sold off as spare parts.
“It could have done a lot of very good things for Kansas, but the governor chose to basically starve it to death,” Hensley said. “Now (he’s) trying to use its carcass to generate money to put into the general fund.”
Legislators were told that the sale of KBA assets would bring in about $25 million for the general fund, but the true number will depend on what buyers are willing to pay.
At a news conference last week, Brownback said there will be “an open bidding process for the assets.”
He couldn’t say whether that would mean the companies currently in the KBA portfolio would move out of state.
“That’s a possibility,” Brownback said. “It’s a possibility somebody will take it over and try to draw more into the state.”
Peck’s company is one of five human health startups that will be part of the sale.
The NTrainer, invented by University of Nebraska professor Steven Barlow while he was working at KU, has shown potential to decrease babies’ stays in neonatal intensive care units by helping them nurse better and catch up in weight. That in turn has the potential to improve health outcomes and save hospitals money.
Investors outside the KBA have jumped on board, strengthening Innara’s position as the state prepares to sell the KBA’s share of the company.
“I don’t want to downplay what’s going on with the KBA — it’s not great,” Peck said. “But at the same time I’m not running around every day worrying about it. I have many shareholders. They’re an important one, they’re a big one, but they’re not the only one.”
Peck is using some of his time to prepare for the pending sale, though, and spending some of the company’s resources on legal advice about the sale.
Events in Topeka are not holding him back from doing business, he said, but they are a distraction.
Uncertainty about the future also looms. Peck said he’s not looking to leave Kansas. He was born here, went to KU and is raising his children here.
But he said he can’t predict the future at this point. Wherever the company lands, he will be proud that the NTrainer was developed in Kansas.
“What we’re doing in helping these kids get better — we’re impacting families and lives, and we’re doing something that has never been done before and has global applications to it,” Peck said. “And it started here. It literally started in Lawrence, Kansas, and is being developed in Olathe.”
Andy Marso is a reporter for KHI News Service in Topeka, a partner in the Heartland Health Monitor team. You can reach him on Twi
Budget savings after Health Department, Emergency Management will be merged into other departments
On Friday, Ellis County Administrator Phillip Smith-Hanes announced transitions among several appointed department head positions. These changes will impact five County departments.
Public Works: Interim Public Works Director Curt Hoffman will return to his former position as County Road and Bridge Supervisor. Hoffman assumed the role of Interim Director in June 2015 due to the illness of prior Director Mike Graf.
Phillip Smith-Hanes
“I was happy to step in and assist the County and our department during this trying time,” said Hoffman. “I’m even happier to be returning to a position that will allow me to spend more time in the field. The Interim Director position has been a learning experience, and one thing I’ve learned is that I’m happiest when I’m not stuck behind a desk.”
Due to Hoffman’s transition back to his former role, County Emergency Management Coordinator Bill Ring will serve as Public Works Director.
“I look forward to taking on this new challenge,” Ring said. “While I have not previously worked on road and bridge projects, I have always had a good relationship with Public Works in my emergency manager role.”
Prior to moving to Ellis County, Ring had a successful career as a small business owner in the automotive parts industry. He has a degree in economics from St. Louis University.
Emergency Management/Rural Fire: As Ring moves to Public Works, the Emergency Management Department will be merged with the County’s Rural Fire Department.
“I’ve worked closely with Rural Fire during my entire tenure, and we share administrative staff,” Ring said.
Rural Fire Director Darin Myers will take on this combined role.
“This makes a lot of sense,” Myers said. “As a career firefighter I am intimately familiar with the Incident Command Structure and the importance of preparedness. I look forward to building on the work Bill has done to keep Ellis County residents, businesses and visitors safe.”
Health/EMS: Longtime Ellis County Health Administrator Robert “Butch” Schlyer has announced his intention to retire from county service at the end of the calendar year. County Emergency Medical Services Director Kerry McCue will assume a combined role directing both departments.
“Although I will have a learning curve in public health, this transition makes sense,” McCue said. “Three other Kansas counties have already gone this route, and I am personally excited about the chance to continue learning and growing in my career with Ellis County.”
Announcement of the move at this time will allow for a nice transition period.
“One of the things I most wanted as I prepare for my retirement was the opportunity for overlap with my successor,” Schlyer said. “I am pleased to be able to work with Kerry and have a smooth transition for both of our staffs.”
Dean Haselhorst
County Commission Chairman Dean Haselhorst praised the moves.
“I am very happy and thankful to our department heads for stepping up and taking on new roles,” said Haselhorst. “Ellis County faces some trying financial times, and this display of creativity on the part of our department heads is exactly the kind of thing we need to help us get through this.”
Haselhorst went on to specifically praise Hoffman’s role over the past year: “Curt and the other staff at Public Works really stepped up when we needed them. I would’ve like to have seen him stay on, but I certainly understand that office work is not for everyone. All I can do is thank him.”
All the transitions are expected to occur gradually over the next several months. For payroll purposes, new roles for Hoffman and Ring are anticipated to be effective Monday, June 6, and McCue will begin the transition period on June 20. Myers’ new role is pending adoption of a new job description by the Board of County Commissioners. The combination of functions is estimated to save Ellis County nearly $100,000 in fiscal year 2017.
RICE COUNTY -Investigators with the Kansas State Fire Marshal’s office determined a fire at a home in Lyons on Tuesday was accidental, according to Lyons Fire Chief Brad Reid.
The homeowner discovered fire damage in the single-family, two-story residence at 113 North Saint John Avenue as they arrived home.
A space heater is believed to have started the fire. Fortunately there was a lack of oxygen and the fire smothered itself, according to Reid.
The home suffered approximately ten thousand dollars in damage to the basement and additional smoke damage.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Fort Hays State junior wrestler Jon Inman has been named a finalist for the MIAA Ken B. Jones Award for 2016, the conference’s honor for both its male and female student-athletes of the year. Inman joins Emporia State’s Brent Wilson (football) and Northeastern State’s Eric Crawford (soccer) as men’s finalists, while women’s finalists include Heavin Warner (Central Missouri – track and field), Natalie O’Keefe (Southwest Baptist – track and field), and Yanique Ellington (Lincoln – track and field).
The award, which is in its 23rd year, is named in honor of the man who served as the MIAA’s first full-time commissioner for 16 years. Jones retired in 1997 and passed away in May 2004. He was inducted into the MIAA Hall of Fame in the inaugural Class of 2010.
Inman put together a very impressive junior season, earning All-America honors at 184 pounds with a fifth-place finish at nationals. He put together a staggering record of 38-4, with his only losses against Division II competition occurring at the NCAA Super Regional and NCAA Championships. Inman finished the year 25-3 against Division II wrestlers. He was the MIAA champion at 184 pounds for the second straight year.
Inman has also been impressive in the classroom for FHSU with a 3.85 GPA as a Justice Studies major. He is a three-time D2 Wrestling Coaches Association All-Academic First Team selection and MIAA Scholar-Athlete recipient. Recently, Inman was named to the CoSIDA Academic All-District Team for At-Large sports, only one of 11 selections in the region to be considered for CoSIDA Academic All-America status.
Beth Bohuslavsky of Fort Hays State women’s basketball was one of 12 women nominated for the award this year. Bohuslavsky had an impressive resume as a three-time All-MIAA performer, while carrying a 3.89 grade point average as an Elementary Education major. She helped FHSU to an amazing record of 98-25 over four years and the program’s first-ever WBCA No. 1 national ranking.
A 15-member panel of athletics directors, senior woman administrators, faculty athletics representatives and sports information directors – including a representative from each member institution – select the finalists.
Each nominee is judged in four areas with a certain percentage of weight going to each category: 2015-16 athletic accomplishments (45%); career academic accomplishments (25%); 2015-16 campus/community service (15%); and career athletic and service achievements (15%).
The three men and women finalists are invited to Kansas City for the MIAA Awards Ceremony, which will be held June 1 at the Truman Forum Auditorium at the Kansas City Public Library – Plaza Branch at 4801 Main Street, Kansas City, Missouri. At the event one male and one female will be announced as the winners of the Ken B. Jones Award. The awards program, begins at 7 pm.
EDITOR’S NOTE— Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin on Friday vetoed legislation that would make it a felony for doctors to perform an abortion, a measure that would have effectively outlawed the procedure in the state.
OKLAHOMA CITY -The Oklahoma Legislature on Thursday passed a bill that would make performing an abortion a felony punishable by up to three years in prison.
The Center for Reproductive Rights says the measure is the first of its kind in the nation. The bill also would restrict any physician who performs an abortion from obtaining or renewing a license to practice medicine in Oklahoma.
“As we put the finishing touches on a new clinic in Oklahoma City that will give women full access to their legal reproductive rights, Trust Women is dismayed by the passage of Oklahoma SB 1552, a blatantly unconstitutional attempt to make abortion illegal,” the organization wrote in a media release.
“Trust Women stands firm on our decision to open a clinic in the largest metropolitan area in the United States without a provider,” said Julie Burkhart, founder and CEO of Trust Women, the foundation that owns Trust Women South Wind Women’s Center in Wichita and Oklahoma City. “Women need the services we will offer.”
“Oklahoma legislators should be spending their time finding solutions to problems, not creating barriers for women, said Burkhart.
“It is crucial that women make their own reproductive health care decisions. Women know what is best for them — not politicians. That seems so simple, yet we must constantly remind lawmakers,” Burkhart said.
Trust Women remains committed to supporting women in Oklahoma and calls for Gov. Mary Fallin to veto this bill. Oklahoma taxpayers should not have to foot the bill to defend a law that will be ruled unconstitutional.
With no discussion or debate, the Oklahoma Senate voted 33-12 for the bill by Republican Sen. Nathan Dahm.
A handful of Republicans joined with Democrats in voting against the bill, which now heads to Gov. Mary Fallin. A spokesman says Fallin will withhold comment until her staff has time to review it.
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Police have ruled that two unrelated Topeka deaths are homicides.
The Topeka Capital-Journal reports that the killings of 60-year-old Robert Williams and 21-year-old Ashlie Hundertfund bring the city’s homicide total to eight. Last year at this time, there were four recorded homicides.
Police spokeswoman Amy McCarter says no one was been arrested in Williams’ Feb. 18 death. She says the preliminary investigation didn’t point to foul play, but that an autopsy led to the homicide ruling.
McCarter says police have determined that Hundertfund was the victim of a murder-suicide. Police say 22-year-old Robert Fink killed her and then himself. Their bodies were discovered in an apartment when police were called to check on the welfare of a resident who hadn’t shown up for work on Feb. 29.
Back row: Robert Wickham, Dr. Troy Kerby, Carol Groen, Rhonda Klaus, Blakely Hillary, Brian Pfannenstiel Front Row: Jessica Pfeifer, Regina Borthwick, Dorothy Gideon, Lynette Pfannenstiel
HaysMed has received the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s Get With The Guidelines®-Stroke Silver Plus Quality Achievement Award. The award recognizes the hospital’s commitment and success in ensuring stroke patients receive the most appropriate treatment according to nationally recognized, research-based guidelines based on the latest scientific evidence.
To receive the Silver Plus Quality Achievement award, hospitals must achieve 85 percent or higher adherence to all Get With The Guidelines-Stroke achievement indicators for at least 12 consecutive months and during the same period achieve 75 percent or higher compliance with five of eight Get With The Guidelines-Stroke Quality measures.
These quality measures are designed to help hospital teams provide the most up-to-date, evidence-based guidelines with the goal of speeding recovery and reducing death and disability for stroke patients. They focus on appropriate use of guideline-based care for stroke patients, including aggressive use of medications such as clot-busting and anti-clotting drugs, blood thinners and cholesterol-reducing drugs, preventive action for deep vein thrombosis and smoking cessation counseling.
“A stroke patient loses 1.9 million neurons each minute stroke treatment is delayed. This recognition further demonstrates our commitment to delivering advanced stroke treatments to patients quickly and safely,” said Terry Siek, vice president of patient care and chief nursing officer. HaysMed continues to strive for excellence in the acute treatment of stroke patients. The recognition from the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s Get With The Guidelines-Stroke further reinforces our team’s hard work.”
HaysMed has also met specific scientific guidelines as a Primary Stroke Center featuring a comprehensive system for rapid diagnosis and treatment of stroke patients admitted to the emergency department.
“The American Heart Association and American Stroke Association recognize HaysMed for its commitment to stroke care,” said Paul Heidenreich, M.D., M.S., national chairman of the Get With The Guidelines Steering Committee and professor of medicine at Stanford University. “Research has shown there are benefits to patients who are treated at hospitals that have adopted the Get With The Guidelines program.”
Get With The Guidelines®-S puts the expertise of the American Heart Association and American Stroke Association to work for hospitals nationwide, helping hospital care teams ensure the care provided to patients is aligned with the latest research-based guidelines. Developed with the goal to save lives and improve recovery time, Get With The Guidelines®-S has impacted more than 3 million patients since 2003.
According to the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association, stroke is the No. 5 cause of death and a leading cause of adult disability in the United States. On average, someone in the U.S. suffers a stroke every 40 seconds, someone dies of a stroke every four minutes, and nearly 800,000 people suffer a new or recurrent stroke each year
Olyn Danford (O.D.) Calhoon Jr., 80, formerly of Colby, Kansas, died on Monday, May 2, 2016, in Logan, KS. from melanoma.
O.D. was born on October 27, 1935, in Osborne, KS. to Olyn Danford Calhoon,Sr. and Nina Mae Eshbaugh Calhoon. As a child, he and his sister Carol Kay Calhoon Brooks spent time fishing, hunting, playing outside, and visiting relatives nearby. He spoke fondly of his time with his aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents in the Manhattan area at frequent family reunions.
O.D. attended Colby High School where he played football and track, and he held the record in the 100 yard dash for many years. After he graduated in 1953, he joined the Army National Guard. On January 22, 1954, O.D. married his high school sweetheart, Carmelita Maxine Grady, at the First United Methodist Church of Colby. Together they went to college at Kansas State University where he also held the 50-yard dash record for many years. He worked as a land surveyor, at Western Well and Pump, as a farmer and as a salesman for Pioneer Seed.
O.D. lived most of his life in Colby, where he had many friends who he greeted with, “Hey, guy.”
He was usually telling jokes while enjoying a cup of coffee and always whistling while on the go (often to the doughnut shop). He spent Saturday nights at the country club with his good friends. He enjoyed singing, playing cards, woodworking, fishing, and attending class reunions. With Carmelita, he rarely missed one of his daughter’s events or activities, and the Calhoon household is well-remembered as the spot for high school and CCC gatherings. He spent many happy times tickling his grandchildren and closely followed the activities of his family. The couple were great supporters of the Prairie Museum of Art and History and Pickin’ on the Plains.
After Carmelita’s passing in 2003, O.D. married Joann Seeberger, who survives him, and the couple lived in Colby, Lindsborg, and Norton. He enjoyed spending time with Joann’s extended family.
He is preceded in death by his parents (O.D.,Sr. and Nina Calhoon), first wife, Carmelita Calhoon, and brother-in-law, Charles W. Brooks. He is survived by his sister, Carol Brooks, Winter Garden, Fl; daughters, Catherine Desautels, Carbondale, CO, Crystal Nuss (Jason), St. Francis, WI, and Kelley VanHorn (Thurston), Woodbridge, VA; niece, Kimberly Brooks Blaylock (Rick) and nephew, Kerry W. Brooks (Tina); grandchildren, Lucas Labaw (Kim), Jennifer Labaw (Marcus), Kara Nuss (Mark), Ellen Price (Brock), Amanda Brown (Shaun), Melanie Dawson (Bryan), Danielle Godfrey (Eric); great-grandchildren Hudson and Grady LaBaw, Jamie Dollard, Madison Brown, Ella and Jake Dawson; and great nieces and nephews Charles D.Brooks, Corie Brooks, Michael and Brandon Brooks, and Dustin and Bailee Blaylock.
O.D.’s remains were cremated through Kersenbrock Funeral Chapel in Colby, Ks. and will be buried at a future private family celebration. Memorials may be sent to the Thomas County Historical Society or to the American Melanoma Foundation
John Bruce Brown, 72, of Russell, Kansas, passed away Monday, May 16, 2016 at the Golden Living Center in Wilson, Kansas.
John was born at the family home on July 14, 1943 in Quenemo, Kansas, the son of Orlin and Iva (Watkins) Brown. He grew up and attended school in Ellinwood and Great Bend, Kansas.
John served his country in the Army Reserves for 26 years and where he had the rank of Staff Sergeant.
John lived in the Russell, Kansas area from 1972 to 1996. He met, fell in love and was united in marriage to Sandra K. Nuss on February 16, 1965, in Great Bend, Kansas. From this union John and Sandra were blessed with 2 daughters Melodie and Misty. Later, unfortunately John and Sandra divorced in 1987. During that time he was the general manager for Russell Tire. Then in 1996 he moved to Wichita, Kansas where he worked for Old Mission Cemetery as a laborer. He retired in 2005 and returned to the Russell area. He was a member of National Rifle Association and Ducks Unlimited. He enjoyed hunting, fishing, camping and boating with his family.
Surviving family include his ex-wife Sandra Brown and his two daughters, Melodie Anschutz (Derrick) of Russell, Kansas and Misty Brown (Michael Werth) of Russell, Kansas; and two grandchildren, David Brown and Jordan Werth. He was preceded in death by his parents, sister Bernice Nightengale, and two brothers James Brown and Walter Brown.
A Memorial Service will be held at 11:00 AM Monday, May 23, 2016 at Pohlman-Varner-Peeler Mortuary in Russell. No visitation will be held, cremation has preceded the services. Family will greet guests the day of the service. Memorials may be given to the John B. Brown Memorial Fund and sent to Pohlman-Varner-Peeler Mortuary of Russell, who is in charge of these arrangements.
WASHINGTON – The full Senate Appropriations Committee on Thursday approved U.S. Senator Jerry Moran’s (R-Kan.) bill to support farmers and ranchers, encourage rural economic development, and enhance food safety in fiscal year 2017. The legislation, which Sen. Moran authored as Senate Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman, directs funding and operations within the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The legislation balances continued investment in rural America with fiscal responsibility by reducing federal spending compared to currently enacted levels.
“Agriculture is the backbone of our state’s economy,” said Sen. Moran. “This bill prioritizes interests crucial to farmers and ranchers in Kansas and across the country by investing in agriculture research, conservation and animal health initiatives. The legislation emphasizes food safety efforts, which will help keep families across the country healthy and maintain consumer confidence in American-produced food. The legislation also increases flood prevention and conservation efforts by addressing watershed project backlogs in Kansas and other states.
Sen. Moran continued, “I’m especially proud of provisions in the bill that incentivize military veterans to explore opportunities in production agriculture. Encouraging our veterans to pursue farming, ranching and other careers in agriculture will strengthen our farm economy while empowering vets to apply their unique skill sets and abilities to agricultural production.”
The bill prioritizes a number of key issues for Kansans, including:
• Agriculture research
Increases support for the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI), USDA’s premier competitive grant program for basic and applied agriculture research. Studies estimate that every dollar invested in agriculture research returns $20 to the U.S. economy. Research completed at USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS) labs and universities in Kansas keep producers on the cutting edge of technology and competitive in a global market.
• Watershed and flood prevention
Supports the Watershed and Flood Prevention Operations program for the first time since fiscal year 2010. This program protects our rural communities from flooding by providing needed support for watershed projects. Watersheds also protect our natural resources and provide conservation benefits by reducing erosion and increasing sediment retention. Estimates show that in Kansas alone, watershed projects in place today provide $115 million in economic and flood damage reduction benefits.
• Veteran outreach
Includes funding for the Food and Agriculture Resilience Program for Military Veterans (FARM-Vets) program and directs USDA to engage in additional outreach and training for veterans transitioning from military service to careers in agriculture. Nearly 40 percent of the nation’s farms are owned and operated by farmers over the age of 65 creating a significant demand new farmers, while at the same time, over 800,000 service members are expected to transition out of the military in the coming years.
• Rural water systems
Provides robust support for the Grassroots Source Water Protection Program and Circuit Rider Program, which are designed to provide technical assistance to rural water systems and prevent pollution of surface and ground water used as the primary source of drinking water by rural residents. Sen. Moran believes the ability for rural communities to provide safe drinking water to its citizens is of utmost importance.
• Food safety initiatives
Supports implementation of the Food Safety Modernization Act, which intends to improve preventive control measures for food production, decrease foodborne illness outbreaks, and better ensure the safety of imported food. Preventing food contamination keeps consumers safe and heathy and helps agriculture stakeholders by instilling confidence in our food systems.
The U.S. Senate now has the opportunity to debate the agriculture bill, along with the other 11 appropriations bill required of Congress annually.
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A Wichita man has been sentenced to life in prison in the shooting death of his wife.
The Wichita Eagle reports that 32-year-old Derek Campbell must serve 50 years before becoming eligible for parole under the sentence imposed Thursday in Sedgwick County District Court. He was convicted in March of first-degree premeditated murder in the April 2015 killing of Rebecca Campbell.
Prosecutors say he killed her because he wanted out of their marriage and had rekindled a romance with an old girlfriend. Evidence presented at his trial showed he had researched divorce online and browsed dating websites before the deadly shooting.
Campbell maintains the shooting was accidental. He said at the sentencing that he thought the gun was unloaded and that he loved his wife with “all my heart.”
