We have a brand new updated website! Click here to check it out!

Year: 2016

Bill would increase the Kansas speed limit to 80 mph

Posted on

highwayBy Miranda Davis
KU Statehouse Wire Service

TOPEKA – Kansans could be driving a lot faster if a bill to increase the state’s speed limit to 80 mph wins legislative approval.
The House Transportation Committee heard testimony Tuesday on House Bill 2450, which would raise the speed limit on some multilane Kansas highways.

Rep. John Bradford, R-Lansing, spoke in favor of the bill, saying he had personal experience driving around some parts of the country this summer, and said he enjoyed the higher speed limits when he was traveling.

Bradford said the increased speed limit would help with safety, and that many people are already driving faster than 80 mph.

“If you’re out on the highway, you’ll quickly see there are many drivers already driving 80, 85, 90 and some even faster,” Bradford said.

But not everyone who testified agreed higher speed limits are a good idea.

The Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) and the Kansas Highway Patrol both provided written testimony opposing the bill. Both groups expressed concerns about highway safety if the speed limit were to increase.

KDOT said that vehicle crashes have risen since the state increased the speed limit from 70 to 75 mph in 2011. KDOT said that fatalities increased about 22 percent on the 75-mph highways, and fatalities decreased about 5 percent on the rest of the highway system. KDOT plans to conduct additional research with Kansas State University.

A key concern is that the increase to 80 mph will create a de facto 90 mph speed limit. The bill says that if someone is pulled over and is going less than 10 miles over the speed limit, the violation will not be reported to the Division of Motor Vehicles or considered a moving violation.

The bill also prevents insurance companies from changing or canceling policies if a driver is ticketed for going 10 miles over the limit.

The 10-mph buffer is in effect for current speed limits. Tom Whitaker, executive director of the Kansas Motor Carriers Association, said the organization does not support the buffer, and he proposed removing the provision if the bill moves forward.

“We support a uniform speed limit but strict enforcement of that speed limit,” Whitaker said.

HB 2450 would only affect separated multilane highways designated by the Transportation Secretary.

Changing signs on the applicable highways would cost about $20,000 and could be handled within the current KDOT budget, according to the fiscal note on the bill.

Edited by Leah Sitz

Midwest Energy more than doubles Kan. wind energy purchases

Posted on

Midwest EnergyMWE

Hays-based Midwest Energy has signed a purchased power agreement with Westar Energy of Topeka for 57 megawatts of wind energy from the Kingman Wind Energy Center, scheduled for completion by early 2017.

“This agreement provides both economic and environmental benefits,” said Earnie Lehman, president and general manager at Midwest Energy. “It allows us to use more Kansas renewable resources to meet the needs of our Kansas customer-owners,” Lehman continued. Financial details of the agreement were not disclosed.

The Kingman agreement will bring Midwest Energy’s total wind energy supply to 106

Smoky Hills wind farm in Lincoln County, Kan.
Smoky Hills wind farm in Lincoln County, Kan.

megawatts. Midwest Energy purchases 49 megawatts of wind under contract from the Smoky Hill Wind Farm in Lincoln County, Kan.

Considering Midwest’s 2015 retail peak load of 316 megawatts and the expected availability of energy from the wind farm, “this means that by 2017, more than a quarter of our customer-owner’s energy will be coming from Kansas wind,” Lehman said.

Midwest Energy is a customer-owned cooperative serving 50,000 electric and 42,000 natural gas customers in 40 central and western Kansas counties. A leader in renewable energy, Midwest Energy was among the first Kansas utilities to begin purchasing wind-generated electricity in 2001. It became the first utility in Kansas to offer a community solar option, building a one megawatt solar array in Colby, Kan., in 2015.

Two arrested after hit-and-run accident at Ellis Co. building

Posted on

By JONATHAN ZWEYGARDT
Hays Post

A hit-and-run accident at the Ellis County Emergency Services building last week led to the arrest of two men.

In the early morning hours Friday, a pickup traveling on 22nd street left the roadway and, according to Hays Police Assistant Chief Bryan Dawson, crashed into four vehicles parked in the Emergency Services parking lot. Dawson said two people in the pickup fled the scene following the accident but were later located and arrested.

Julian Cigarroa, 18, and Deyton M. Davis, 20, both of Hays, were arrested in connection with the accident.

According to the Hays Police Department, Cigarroa was arrested Friday morning for interference with a law enforcement and criminal deprivation of property. Davis was arrested Friday afternoon for failure to report an accident with an unattended vehicle.

EMS Director Kerry McCue said the vehicles that sustained the damage were employees’ vehicles and not owned by the county.

Dawson also said the individuals did not own the pickup and they did not have permission to use the vehicle.

Former wildlife refugee occupier arrested on Kansas warrant

Posted on
Brandon Dowd was arrested Feb. 8 under a warrant from Kansas. He's seen here in a common area of a bunkhouse at the Malheur Wildlife Reuge, on Jan. 14. photo by Thomas Boyd courtesy Portland Oregonian
Brandon Dowd was arrested Feb. 8 under a warrant from Kansas. He’s seen here in a common area of a bunkhouse at the Malheur Wildlife Reuge, on Jan. 14. photo by Thomas Boyd courtesy Portland Oregonian

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — A man who had been with the armed occupiers at Malheur National Wildlife Refuge has been arrested on an unrelated warrant.

The Oregonian reports  that 31-year-old Brandon Dowd is being held in the Harney County Jail under a warrant from Kansas in connection to a theft case. He was not arrested for anything he might have done while on the refuge. He was arrested Monday.

Dowd was seen about three weeks ago guarding the main entrance to the refuge. He is not among the last four holdouts still occupying the space.

A Riley County Police Department spokesman says Dowd is accused of stealing a firearm worth about $600 from a 65-year-old man last May.

HaysMed designated Blue Distinction® Center+ for maternity care

Posted on

hays med logoHaysMed

In an effort to help prospective parents find hospitals that deliver quality, affordable maternity care, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas announced HaysMed has been designated as one of the first hospitals to receive the Blue Distinction Center+ for Maternity Care designation, a new designation under the Blue Distinction® Specialty Care program.

Blue Distinction Centers+ for Maternity Care, an expansion of the national Blue Distinction Specialty Care program, are hospitals recognized for delivering quality specialty care safely and effectively, based on objective measures developed with input from the medical community.

blue_distinctionTo receive a Blue Distinction Centers+ for Maternity Care designation, a hospital must also meet requirements for cost efficiency. Hospitals were assessed using a combination of publicly available quality information and cost measures derived from Blue Cross and Blue Shield companies’ medical claims.

“Hays Medical Center strives to provide quality care to all individuals in Northwest Kansas. This Distinction is recognition for the commitment we have made to Maternity Care. As the only provider of Maternity Care in Northwest Kansas that offers Board Certified Physicians in Obstetrics, Anesthesia and Pediatrics, it is great to be recognized as a provider of quality care,” said Terry Siek, Chief Nursing Officer and Vice President of Patient Services at HaysMed.

Nearly four million babies are born in the U.S. annually, making childbirth the most common cause of hospitalization.

“Improving quality of care while also attaining cost efficiency is integral to transforming the health care system, so we are proud to recognize HaysMed for demonstrating higher levels of quality, expertise and efficiency resulting in better maternity care for our members,” said Andrew C. Corbin, BCBSKS president/CEO.

This new Blue Distinction Centers+ for Maternity Care program evaluates hospitals on several quality measures, including the percentage of newborns that fall into the category of early elective delivery, an ongoing concern in the medical community. Compared with babies born 39 weeks or later, early term infants face higher risks of infant death and respiratory ailments such as respiratory distress syndrome, pneumonia, and respiratory failure, among other conditions. These babies also have a higher rate of admission to neonatal intensive care units.

In addition, hospitals that receive a Blue Distinction Center+ for Maternity Care designation agreed to meet requirements that align with principles that support evidence-based practices of care, as well as having initiated programs to promote successful breastfeeding, as described in the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative by Baby-Friendly USA or the Mother-Friendly Hospital program by the Coalition for Improving Maternity Services (CIMS) through its “Ten Steps of Mother-Friendly Care.” The program also evaluates hospitals on overall patient satisfaction, including a willingness to recommend the hospital to others.

Since 2006, the Blue Distinction Specialty Care program has helped patients find quality providers for their specialty care needs in the areas of bariatric surgery, cardiac care, complex and rare cancers, knee and hip replacements, spine surgery, and transplants. Research shows that compared to other facilities, those designated as Blue Distinction Centers demonstrate better quality and improved outcomes for patients. On average, Blue Distinction Centers+ are also 20 percent more cost-efficient than non-Blue Distinction Center+ designated health care facilities.

For more information about the program, please visit www.bcbs.com/bluedistinction.

The HaysMed health system includes a private, not-for-profit 207-bed hospital in Hays, Kansas and partner Pawnee Valley Community Hospital, a critical access hospital in Larned, Kansas. HaysMed also co-owns St. Rose Health Center in Great Bend, Kansas with Centura Health. HaysMed acts as the supporting hospital for the 24 Critical Access Hospitals in the NW Kansas Health alliance collaborating on outreach services in more than 30 locations. With more than 1,400 associates and 80 physicians, it is home to the DeBakey Heart Institute; Dreiling/Schmidt Cancer Institute; Hays Orthopedic Institute; and Center for Health Improvement. The hospital also features state of the art robotic surgery, a dedicated breast care center and wound-care management center. HaysMed is Chest Pain Care Accredited and Primary Stroke Certified.

FHSU MDC to offer online HR certification prep course

Posted on

fhsu mdc logoFHSU University Relations and Marketing

A partnership between Fort Hays State University’s Management Development Center and the Society for Human Resource Management will offer a 10-week online course starting Monday, Feb. 22, to help human resource professionals prepare for SHRM’s new competency-based certification exams.

The next testing window for the SHRM certification exam begins May 1 for the Certified Professional (SHRM-CP) and the Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP).

“With the help of outstanding certification preparation tools from SHRM, our course will help professionals prepare and stay on track for the SHRM-CP and the SHRM-SCP exams, giving professionals the recognition and flexibility to use their knowledge, skills and competencies anywhere their career takes them,” said Sabrina William, MDC director.

SHRM, the world’s largest association devoted to human resource management, announced in May 2014 that it was developing a new certification based on the SHRM Competency Model, which identifies eight behavioral competencies and one technical competency — HR Knowledge or HR Expertise — that professionals need to advance their careers and improve effectiveness in the workplace.

“The Society for Human Resource Management is delighted at the opportunity to partner with the FHSU MDC and to help HR professionals acquire both the competencies and knowledge essential for success in today’s global economy,” said J. Robert Carr, senior professional in human resources and SHRM senior vice president for membership, marketing and external affairs.

SHRM focuses on making sure HR professionals seek and attain certification, and the SHRM certification preparation programs are designed to maximize success, both on the exam and in career development.

“SHRM is committed to ensuring that the certifications our certificants receive are recognized as best in class and distinguishes them in the marketplace. We regard the SHRM-CP and SHRM-SCP as the new standard in certification for the HR profession,” said Carr.

The MDC is a division of the College of Business and Entrepreneurship. The College of Business and Entrepreneurship also offers an SHRM-endorsed Bachelor of Business Administration in management with a concentration in human resource management and a Master of Professional Studies in human resource management.

For more information on SHRM certifications, visit www.shrmcertification.org. For more information, or to register for MDC’s preparation course, contact William at (785) 628-4124 or visit www.fhsu.edu/cob/mdc/SHRM-Certification-Course.

Sparks Fly At Hearing On Kansas Bill To Ban Teen Tanning

Posted on
Cancer survivors Amy Holdman, left, and Marcie Kelly were among the supporters of a bill prohibiting the use of tanning beds by minors who packed a Tuesday hearing at the Kansas Statehouse. JIM MCLEAN / HEARTLAND HEALTH MONITOR
Cancer survivors Amy Holdman, left, and Marcie Kelly were among the supporters of a bill prohibiting the use of tanning beds by minors who packed a Tuesday hearing at the Kansas Statehouse.
JIM MCLEAN / HEARTLAND HEALTH MONITOR

By JIM MCLEAN

A legislative hearing Tuesday on a bill to prohibit Kansans under 18 from using commercial tanning beds produced emotional testimony from cancer victims and sharp exchanges between lawmakers and the proposal’s lone opponent.

And it seemed clear by the hearing’s end that the bill had the support of several lawmakers who normally would be troubled by the prospect of regulating private businesses.

“Just listening to the questions, you pretty well get where everybody is coming from,” said Rep. Dan Hawkins, the Wichita Republican who chairs the House Health and Human Services Committee. “So, I would say it will probably pass out in fine fashion.”

Hawkins and other members of the panel said testimony from two cancer survivors helped make the case for the bill, which would make it illegal for salon owners to allow anyone under 18 to use their ultraviolet beds. He said the testimony delivered by melanoma survivors Amy Holdman of Overland Park and Marcie Kelly of Wichita “touched the hearts” of members.

“It’s hard to discredit testimony like that,” he said.

But Joseph Levy tried.

Levy is the “scientific adviser” to the American Suntanning Association, a group formed by salon owners in 2012 to fight efforts to regulate the industry due to increasing health and safety concerns. He’s also executive director of the International Smart Tan Network.

“The case that’s been made (against indoor tanning) goes well beyond the facts,” Levy said, referring to information compiled by the American Cancer Action Network, the lobbying arm of the American Cancer Society, as well as the testimony given by doctors and cancer victims in support of the Kansas bill.

Levy questioned the legitimacy of studies that show the use of tanning beds, particularly by teenagers and young adults, greatly increases the chances of developing skin cancer. He said because the studies included high-intensity tanning devices used by doctors and hospitals, they overstated the risks of using salon beds. He said many doctors agree that moderate use of tanning beds to acquire a “base tan” can help protect people from the real health hazard: sunburn.

“Sunburn prevention is what we should be focusing on,” he said.

Several members of the committee pushed back. Rep. Jim Ward, a Wichita Democrat, said Levy’s testimony reminded him of the “specious” arguments made by the tobacco companies.

Dr. Roy Jensen, director of the University of Kansas Cancer Center, said in an interview after the hearing that Ward “nailed it” when he compared Levy’s arguments to those used by the tobacco industry.

“It just drives you crazy when somebody devotes their life to spewing out a bunch of garbage,” Jensen said. “And it’s even worse when it harms people.”

Marcie Kelly said she routinely tanned to get ready for big dances in high school, logging hours in tanning beds before each one.

Fifteen years later her doctor noticed a suspicious mole on her back. Tests confirmed it was metastatic melanoma, skin cancer that had spread to her lymph system.

Surgeons acted quickly to remove the cancer from her back.

“It looked like somebody had taken a shark bite out of my back,” she said, before going on to describe the chemotherapy she endured to kill the cancer in her lymph nodes.

Now, two years from diagnosis and treatment, Kelly worries that one of the full-body scans that she gets every three months will show that the cancer is back. She described her life as “holding my breath and living scan to scan.”

“Melanoma has robbed me of who I was,” she said.

Several members of the committee thanked Kelly and Holdman for sharing their stories. But a few said they were troubled by the bill.

Rep. Brett Hildabrand, a Shawnee Republican, said he worried that prohibiting teenagers from using commercial facilities might prompt them to engage in unsupervised use of tanning beds in their homes or those of friends and neighbors. He asked Jensen of the KU Cancer Center if instead of prohibiting minors from tanning, the bill could require them to get written consent from their parents.

“I always have a problem with government acting as the parent and taking parental decisions away,” Hildabrand said.

Jensen said that any parent who consented would essentially be guilty of child abuse.

“If you’re allowing your child to be in a tanning bed, that’s pretty much the definition of physical abuse,” he said.

In addition, Jensen said, parental consent laws don’t work well because they put the enforcement burden on business owners.

Jim McLean is executive editor of KHI News Service in Topeka, a partner in the Heartland Health Monitor team.

Feds charge Kansas man over fake casino ‘players cards’

Posted on

CasinoWICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Federal prosecutors have charged a former tribal casino employee with embezzlement in a scheme involving fake “players cards” at a casino in northeast Kansas.

A criminal information filed Tuesday charges 32-year-old Donald M. Collins of Wetmore with one count of embezzling tribal funds. Collins worked at the time as players club manager at the Sac and Fox Casino, which is owned by the Sac and Fox Nation of Kansas and Nebraska.

His defense attorney did not immediately return a message left seeking comment.

Collins is accused of making counterfeit cards valued at about $13,326. The cards allow bearers to play various casino games.

Prosecutors allege that about $17,443 was fraudulently won by people using them.

Collins was issued a summons to appear in federal court in Wichita on Feb. 24.

Sen. Roberts: Obama’s Budget Turns Deaf Ear to Rural America

Posted on

Roberts

Submitted by the office of Senator Pat Roberts

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Pat Roberts, R-Kan., Chairman of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, made the following statement after reviewing President Obama’s Fiscal Year 2017 budget request to Congress, which includes legislative proposals to cut the federal crop insurance program by $18 billion.

“As farmers and ranchers are faced with the daily uncertainties of weather and volatile market conditions, the Obama Administration has once again chosen to attack America’s agriculture producers and their ability to manage risk. The President is hitting rural America where it hurts most, and all of this is occurring at a time when farm income is projected to decline 56 percent in the past three years.”

“Budget cuts are nothing new to agriculture. Farmers and ranchers have been forced to become experts at doing more with less. Yet, the President’s budget does nothing to tackle our nation’s debt crisis.

“Farm country is tired of overzealous regulations and persistent attacks on rural America. While the budget proposals are essentially dead on arrival, we must hold USDA and the Administration accountable for their actions and be vigilant in protecting the interests of our hardworking farmers, ranchers, and business owners in rural America.”

WIN a romantic Valentine’s getaway from Fossil Creek and Eagle

Posted on

Heart valentineRUSSELL — Fossil Creek Hotel & Suites and Eagle are looking to make your Valentine’s Day a little sweeter.

The hotel is giving away a weekend getaway, complete with chocolates, beverage, a long-stemmed rose and breakfast in the morning at Fossil Creek.

For the complete package, the prize must be redeemed by March 31. After March 31, the winner will receive the room only.

To enter to WIN the special Valentine’s getaway, email [email protected] by NOON THURSDAY. Be sure to include your name and daytime telephone number. Enter “Valentine’s” in the subject line to be eligible to win.

The winner will be announced Friday, Feb. 12.

HPD Activity Log Feb. 9

Posted on

hpd top sponsor jan 6

hpd bobs bail bonds bottom 2 jan 6

hpd banner jan 28 Celebrate Recovery

The Hays Police Department responded to 6 animal calls and 15 traffic stops Tuesday, Feb. 9, 2016, according to the HPD Activity Log.

Driving Under the Influence–700 block Riley St, Hays; 2:04 AM
Warrant Service (Fail to Appear)–3000 block New Way, Hays; 6:02 AM
Animal At Large–700 block E 6th St, Hays; 9:02 AM
Warrant Service (Fail to Appear)–2010 block E 8th St, Ellis County; 8:53 AM
Abandoned Vehicle–1700 block Agnes Dr, Hays; 9:56 AM
MV Accident-City Street/Alley–27th and Broadway, Hays; 10:15 AM
Suicidal Subject–2700 block Broadway Ave, Hays; 10:59 AM
Animal At Large–700 block E 6th St, Hays; 11:23 AM
Suspicious Activity–2200 block Felten Dr, Hays; 11:18 AM
MV Accident-Pri. Prop.-Hit & Run; 700 block W 12th St, Hays; 2/7 6 PM; 2/9 10 AM
Assist – Other (not MV)–3000 block New Way, Hays; 12:49 PM
Shoplifting–4300 block Vine St, Hays; 1:48 PM
Suspicious Person–3500 block Hillcrest Dr, Hays; 5:13 PM
Warrant Service (Fail to Appear)–4200 block Vine St, Hays; 9:44 PM
Disturbance – Noise–1400 block Allen St, Hays; 10:11 PM
Driving Under the Influence–400 block W 6th St, Hays; 11:39 PM

hpd top sponsor jan 6

Kansas drops bill to cut gifted kids from special-ed status

Posted on

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A bill that would have made changes to gifted education has been abandoned after an outcry.

In dropping the effort Tuesday to remove references of gifted children from the category of special education, Rep. Sue Boldra said the idea was not to eliminate gifted programs. The Wichita Eagle reports that the Hays Republican said her goal was to separate them from special education.

The bill had been introduced Monday in the House Committee on Education and was similar to one that gifted-education advocates fought last year. Concerns were raised that it could gut funding for gifted education and do away with protections that gifted students and their families have.

The president of the Kansas Association for the Gifted, Talented and Creative, Kelly Reynolds, said she was “delighted.”

Copyright Eagle Radio | FCC Public Files | EEO Public File