Today A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms between 2pm and 3pm. Cloudy, then gradually becoming mostly sunny, with a high near 88. East northeast wind 5 to 8 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
Tonight Partly cloudy, with a low around 65. East wind 3 to 8 mph.
Saturday A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before 1pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 89. East southeast wind 3 to 6 mph.
Saturday Night Partly cloudy, with a low around 66. East southeast wind around 6 mph becoming light and variable after midnight.
SundayMostly sunny, with a high near 92. Light and variable wind becoming south southeast 5 to 8 mph in the morning.
GREAT BEND – The woman who served for 30 years as director of the Great Bend Convention and Visitors Bureau is accused of stealing money from the organization.
On Thursday, Barton County Attorney Amy Mellor announced in a media release that a criminal case has been filed against Crystal Jo Collier for theft.
The complaint, filed with the Barton County District Court, charges that between the end of July 2012 and the middle of January 2015, Collier stole monies or property between $25,000 and $100,000 and deceived the Great Bend Convention & Visitors Bureau in the process of doing so.
In a second charge, the Barton County Attorney’s Office states Collier wrote out a check stub that falsely stated the amounts of monies spent during a period of time or the reasons why the monies were spent.
Both charges are felony level crimes under Kansas law.
Collier appeared in Barton County District Court July 13 with her attorney, Dennis Keenan. Collier was advised of her charges and the possible penalty for each charge. The preliminary hearing will be scheduled at a later date.
Collier retired from the CVB in December of 2015. When city of Great Bend took over the everyday CVB operations on January 1, 2016, it was discovered that Collier possibly misused funds.
RENO COUNTY— A Kansas man is in jail on suspicion of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, battery, and criminal restraint against his mother.
Preston Lewis, 29, Hutchinson, allegedly held his mother against her will, not letting her leave the house or call anyone, all while holding a knife. He also barricaded the doors of the home.
He did apparently let his mother use her phone. She sent a text message to another person about the incident.
According to statements made in court, Lewis ordered a pizza for the two, but even had a knife in his hand when the delivery driver arrived.
He was apparently paranoid that someone was going to hurt him and his mother after possibly using meth and something called “crocodile,” according to testimony.
In court Thursday, he denied the allegations saying he never touched anyone and didn’t hold anyone at knife point.
His bond was left at $8,000 and, even though Sarah McKinnon with the Regional Public Defender’s Office requested that they be assigned the case, Magistrate Judge Cheryl Allen denied it saying she’ll wait to see if formal charges are filed before assigning an attorney.
Lewis is due back in court next week. He has a previous drug conviction from 2014 in McPherson County, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.
(L to R): DCF Secretary Phyllis Gilmore, Director of Child Support Services Trisha Thomas, KPC staff members Pam Underwood, Gina Hoffman and Jeanette Smith celebrate 10 years of successful KPC operation under YoungWilliams.
KDCF
TOPEKA – This week, the Kansas Payment Center (KPC), Topeka, celebrated 10 years of successful operation. Through a contract with the Kansas Department for Children and Families (DCF), the KPC processes all child support payments in the state.
“The work being done at the Kansas Payment Center is tremendous,” said DCF Secretary Phyllis Gilmore. “The KPC has helped countless children receive the financial support the need and deserve.”
Over the last decade, the KPC has processed more than 20.7 million child support receipts, totaling $4 billion dollars. The company has also answered more than 1.6 million customer service calls.
In September 2013, Kansas became the first state in the nation to fully privatize its child support system. Since the full transformation into a privatized system, cost-effectiveness has substantially increased across the board and multiple achievements have been achieved. Due to increased effective practices and procedures, the KPC has maintained an accuracy rating of 99.99 percent.
Another improvement that has been made is that child support is now largely collected and dispersed electronically. In 2007, the KPC reported that only 27 percent of incoming child support payments were being processed electronically through its payment center, but now more than 66 percent of payments are being processed electronically, ranking Kansas sixth in the nation for all states that do not require payers to remit electronically.
Among other accomplishments achieved in recent years, the KPC created an online portal for individuals and employers to pay using e-check, debit or credit card. Currently, there are nearly 40,000 registered users of this system. Also, within the last year, the KPC has partnered with PayNearMe and MoneyGram to provide convenient methods for non-custodial parents to make cash payments.
You can learn more about the KPC and other child support services available to Kansans at www.dcf.ks.gov.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — A Kansas City man who played a leading role in a plot that helped African nationals evade immigration laws by arranging fraudulent marriages has been ordered to spend three years in federal prison.
Forty-nine-year-old Delmar Dixon was sentenced Thursday in Kansas City. He pleaded guilty in March to conspiracy and falsely swearing in an immigration matter.
Dixon admitted he arranged 30 to 40 fraudulent marriages, including his own. He charged the African nationals $1,000 upfront and another $1,000 after the wedding was complete. The nationals were asked to pay their spouses $250 a month until the immigration process was complete.
Five co-defendants also have pleaded guilty. Two of them have also have been sentenced to prison.
LEAVENWORTH COUNTY -A Kansas business owner has pleaded guilty to a federal charge of theft from an employee benefit fund, according to U.S. Attorney Tom Beall.
Brenda Wood, 48, Leavenworth, pleaded guilty Wednesday to one count of theft from an employee benefit program. In her plea, she admitted the crime occurred while she was owner of PCI, a building cleaning service, and CDM, a construction and property management service.
She set up a 401K plan, encouraged PCI and CDM employees to participate and began withholding employee contributions. In 2011, employees learned that no contributions had been deposited in their accounts. Wood falsely assured employees that their funds were being held in escrow. In fact, she used their contributions for her own benefit and without their permission, according to Beall.
Sentencing is set for Oct. 24. She faces up to five years in federal prison and restitution.
A separate trial is set for Dec. 5 on 21 other counts including bank fraud, aggravated identity theft, wire fraud and committing a felony while on supervised release.
EL DORADO, Kan. (AP) — A published report says an emergency log book suggests the Kansas Department of Corrections perhaps downplayed an inmate disturbance last month at a prison.
Kansas prison officials had reported that no violence occurred and no weapons were accessed by inmates during the June 29 incident at the El Dorado Correctional Facility.
But The Kansas City Star reports a log book shows there were two fights involving separate groups of inmates, at least one inmate had a weapon and at least one fire broke out.
Convicted killers Reginald and Jonathan Carr are housed at El Dorado, according to the KDOC
The head of the union representing prison workers has said inmates, while refusing to return to their cell houses, controlled parts of the prison.
Corrections spokesman Todd Fertig says he hasn’t seen the log, and that no department weapons ever were possessed by the inmates.
BROWN COUNTY- Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect on allegations of Electronic Solicitation of a Child.
William Buehler, 69, St. Joseph, MO., is being held in the Brown County, Kansas Jail on a $150,000 Bond, according to the Sheriff’s Department web site.
Prosecutors allege Buehler communicated with someone he believed to be a 14-year-old girl between May 1 and July 10, in an effort to commit an unlawful sex act.
When he arrived in Hiawatha, Kansas for a prearranged meeting, he was met instead by officers.
A preliminary hearing in the case is scheduled July 19
PRATT–The latest lesser prairie chicken survey shows population trends remain stable after six years of aerial survey data collection, according to the Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (WAFWA). The survey indicates an estimated breeding population of 33,269 birds this year, up from 25,261 birds counted last year. Though scientists are encouraged by the numbers, they know year-to-year fluctuations are the norm with upland birds like the lesser prairie chicken.
“The survey results indicate a 32 percent increase in the number of birds over last year, but we don’t read too much into short-term population fluctuations,” explained Roger Wolfe, WAFWA’s Lesser Prairie Chicken Program manager.
“The monitoring technique used for this survey is designed to track trends, which more accurately reflect the amount of available habitat and population stability,” Wolfe said. “The bottom line is that the population trend over the last six years indicates a stable population, which is good news for all involved in lesser prairie chicken conservation efforts.”
Lesser prairie chickens can be found in four ecoregions in five states: Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas. Wildlife biologists note prairie chicken numbers fluctuate annually due to changes in habitat conditions, which are mainly influenced by weather patterns. The surveys this year indicated apparent population increases in three of the four ecoregions and rangewide, with a decrease estimated in the fourth ecoregion.
The shortgrass prairie ecoregion of northwest Kansas saw the biggest increase in birds, followed by the mixed-grass prairie ecoregion of the northeast Texas Panhandle, northwest Oklahoma and southcentral Kansas. The sand sagebrush ecoregion of southeast Colorado and southwest Kansas also registered an increase in the number of breeding birds. An apparent population decline was noted in the shinnery oak ecoregion of eastern New Mexico and the Texas Panhandle.
“We’d also like to point out that the aerial surveys this year were taken before a late spring snowstorm blasted through a portion of the bird’s range, just prior to the peak of nest incubation,” said Wolfe. “Like all wildlife, the health of these birds depends on the weather. Rainfall at the right time means healthy habitat for the birds, and heavy wet snow like we saw in late April can have a negative impact on survival and productivity. We’ll know more about the impact of that weather event after aerial surveys are completed next year.”
The Lesser Prairie Chicken Rangewide Plan is a collaborative effort of WAFWA and the state wildlife agencies of Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Kansas and Colorado. It was developed to ensure long-term viability of the lesser prairie chicken through voluntary cooperation by landowners and industry. The plan allows industry to continue operations while reducing and mitigating impacts to the bird and its grassland habitat. Industry contributions support conservation actions implemented by participating private landowners. To date, industry partners have committed more than $63 million in enrollment and mitigation fees to pay for conservation actions, and landowners across the range have agreed to conserve more than 145,000 acres of habitat through 10-year and permanent conservation agreements.
TOPEKA – The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), and many other state health departments are investigating multiple outbreaks of human Salmonella infections linked to contact with live poultry.
As of July 13, 2017, 790 people infected with the outbreak strains of Salmonella, including 12 persons from Kansas, have been reported nationwide.
Disease investigation and laboratory findings link the outbreaks to contact with live poultry, such as chicks and ducklings, which come from several hatcheries. Live baby poultry has been acquired from various sources including feed supply stores, websites, and hatcheries.
Contact with live poultry and the areas where they live and roam can make people, especially young children, the elderly, and people with weakened immune systems, sick with Salmonella infections even when the birds appear healthy and clean. People can be exposed through direct contact with the birds and by touching surfaces where they live. This includes cages, feed, bedding and water bowls. It is particularly important to wash hands thoroughly with soap and water after handling or caring for any live poultry. This, along with careful cleaning of equipment and materials associated with raising or caring for live poultry, will help to reduce the risk of infection.
To reduce the risk of Salmonella infection from live poultry: DO
· Wash hands thoroughly with soap and water right after touching live poultry or any surface in the areas where they live and roam. Use hand sanitizer if soap and water are not readily available.
o Adults should supervise hand washing for young children.
· Stay outdoors when cleaning any equipment or materials used to raise or care for live poultry, such as cages or feed and water containers.
DON’T
· Don’t let children younger than 5 years of age, older adults, or people with weakened immune systems handle or touch chicks, ducklings, or other live poultry.
· Don’t snuggle or kiss the birds, touch your mouth, or eat or drink around live poultry.
· Don’t let live poultry inside the house, in bathrooms, or especially in areas where food or drink is prepared, served, or stored, such as kitchens or outdoor patios.
· Don’t eat or drink in the area where the birds live or roam.
If you experience any symptoms of Salmonella infection such as diarrhea, fever, and abdominal cramps consult with a healthcare provider. For additional information and resources about Salmonella and preventing Salmonella illnesses from live poultry visit the CDC’s website (https://www.cdc.gov/features/salmonellapoultry/). For other questions or concerns about Salmonella infections call your local health department or the KDHE epidemiology hotline at 877-427-7317.
TOPEKA – The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE), in conjunction with the Kansas Department of Wildlife Parks and Tourism (KDWPT), has issued a public health warning for five lakes and a watch for two lakes due to harmful algal blooms.
If a lake is under a public health warning for blue-green algae, activities such as boating and fishing may be safe. However, direct contact with water (i.e., wading, skiing and swimming) is strongly discouraged for people, pets and livestock. The lakes currently under a watch or warning status are:
Warning: Marion County Lake, Marion County
Warning: Milford Reservoir (all zones), Geary, Dickinson and Clay counties Warning: Wolf Pond, Barton County
Watch: Marion Reservoir, Marion County
Watch: Overbrook City Lake, Osage County
Watch: Sam’s Pond, Syracuse, Hamilton County Watch: Webster Lake, Rooks County
Lakes under a warning are not closed. Marinas, lakeside businesses and park camping facilities are open for business. If swim beaches are closed, it will be specifically noted. Drinking water and showers at parks are safe and not affected by algae blooms. Boating and fishing are safe on lakes under a warning, but contact with the water should be avoided. It is safe to eat fish caught during a harmful blue-green algae outbreak, as long as the fish is rinsed with clean water. Only the fillet portion should be consumed, and all other parts should be discarded. Hands should also be washed with clean water after handling fish taken from an affected lake. Zoned lakes may have portions fully open for all recreation even if other portions are under a warning.
Kansans should be aware that blooms are unpredictable. They can develop rapidly and may float around the lake, requiring visitors to exercise their best judgment. If there is scum, a paint-like surface or the water is bright green, avoid contact and keep pets away. These are indications that a harmful bloom may be present. Pet owners should be aware that animals that swim in or drink water affected by a harmful algal bloom or eat dried algae along the shore may become seriously ill or die.
When a warning is issued, KDHE recommends the following precautions be taken:
Lake water is not safe to drink for pets or livestock.
Lake water, regardless of blue-green algae status, should never be consumed by humans.
Water contact should be avoided.
Fish may be eaten as long as they are rinsed with clean water and only the fillet portion is consumed, while all other parts are discarded.
Do not allow pets to eat dried algae.
If lake water contacts skin, wash with clean water as soon as possible.
Avoid areas of visible algae accumulation.
KDHE samples publicly accessible bodies of water for blue-green algae when the agency receives reports of potential algae blooms in Kansas lakes. Based on sampling results, KDHE reports on potentially harmful conditions.
TOPEKA–Jim Barnett, a recently declared candidate for the Republican nomination for governor, today announced a statewide tour that starts in central and western Kansas focusing on agriculture, feedlots, seed, grain and value-added products.
The tour will start on July 20 and 21 and include a variety of businesses, farms, feed yards, as well as a chamber of commerce. Over the course of two days, Barnett will be in Great Bend, Kinsley, Dodge City, Garden City and Scott City.
“Food and nutrition are the foundation of our state’s economy,” Barnett said. “It is important that this foundation be strong. That’s why I am starting my campaign by meeting with the people who work in these areas every day. “
“Growing up on a farm at the edge of the Flint Hills, a handshake meant as much as any contract,” Barnett stated. “For me, this tour is my handshake to the people who supply our food and food products. I want their ideas for our #OneKansas agenda. And as governor, my door will always be open to them so I can hear how best we can help.”
A final schedule for the tour will be released one or two days in advance.
Come support the Hays Area Children’s Center at their annual Carnival on Tuesday, July 25 at the Hays Area Children’s Center.
The carnival will feature the Nex-Tech Express, a bubble station (from the Splish Splash Bubble Dash), bouncy house, duck pond, bean bag toss, and much more.
Admission is free to this event. Tickets are $1 for five tickets or 25 cents for per ticket. All proceeds benefit children with developmental delays, disabilities and early education.
