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Month: April 2018

UPDATE: Wildfire crosses into Kansas; Gov. issues disaster declaration

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OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — The Latest on wildfires burning in the Southwest and Southern Plains states (all times local):

9a.m.

Crews working the fire early Wednesday-photo courtesy Steven Co. Emergency Services

Officials say fires that crossed from Colorado into Kansas have been contained.

Katie Horner, a state emergency management spokeswoman, said Wednesday that some structures have been destroyed but that state officials are awaiting damage assessments before releasing more details.

Kansas Gov. Jeff Colyer has issued a disaster declaration. It isn’t clear how much land has burned there. Horner says no injuries have been reported.

The fire risk is dropping in Kansas, where temperatures have dropped from highs in the lower to mid-80s to around 60. Wind gusts of 40 mph are forecast, half as strong as on Tuesday. Buller said the fire risk has shifted south into western Oklahoma.

In Colorado, fire crews on Tuesday battled fast-moving, wind-sparked blazes that stretched from the Denver area northward and eastward toward Kansas.

High winds and gusts up to 80 mph (130 kph) blasted the state, tipping tractor-trailers, uprooting trees, hurling furniture and whipping up dust.

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MORTON COUNTY —Gov. Jeff Colyer, M.D., issued a verbal disaster declaration for several western Kansas counties battling wildland fires late Tuesday. In addition, a large wildland fire that originated in Colorado crossed into Kansas affecting Stanton and Morton Counties,  according to a the State Adjutant General’s Office.

U.S. 40 was closed from Sharon Springs west to the Colorado state line due to a fire along the highway and low visibility.

Local firefighters are being assisted by crews from multiple surrounding Kansas and Colorado counties. UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters from the Nebraska National Guard have been requested and will arrive Wednesday afternoon.

Approximately 90 homes have been evacuated from the two counties, including homes in the town of Richfield in Morton County. A shelter has been established for residents displaced by the fire in Morton County at the Elkhart City Hall, 433 Morton. At this time, the shelter has no people staying there.

The State Emergency Operations Center in Topeka will remain staffed 24/7 by personnel from the Kansas Division of Emergency Management, the Kansas National Guard, Office of the State Fire Marshal, Kansas Forest Service, Department of Children and Families and the American Red Cross. Other emergency support function agencies may be requested as the situation develops.

Hays High Tennis finishes 3rd at Abilene

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The Hays High tennis team earned a third place finish at the Abilene invitational on Tuesday.

Hays had three third place individual finishers and a second place finisher.

The number two doubles team of Seth Shorb and Brandon Kennemer placed 2nd.

#1 Singles: Drew Morley (Senior) placed 3rd

#1 Doubles: Logan Clark (Senior) and Zac Wyse (Junior) placed 3rd

#2 Singles: Eli Booth (Junior) placed 3rd

#2 Doubles: Seth Shorb (Junior) and Brandon Kennemer (Sophomore) placed 2nd

Hays High baseball sweeps doubleheader with Garden City

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The Hays High baseball team swept a doubleheader with Garden City Tuesday in Hays.

GAME 1: Garden City 2, Hays 3

In game one the Indians were down 2-1 in the bottom of the seventh when Cole Murphy delivered an RBI single to tie the game two and then two batters later Trey VanPelt lifted a sacrifice fly to center field that scored Trey Riggs giving the Indians the 3-2 walk-off win.

Palmer Hutchison earned the win in relief.

GAME 2: Garden City 5, Hays 9

In game two the Indians scored in five-of-six innings on their way to a 9-5 win.

Hunter Brown was two-for-three with two RBI’s and two walks. Trey McCrea also drove in a pair of runs.

Cole Murphy allowed just one earned run over five innings while striking three to earn the win. Palmer Hutchison earned the save.

The Indians are 7-0 on the season. They will host Great Bend on April 24.

TMP soccer falls to Liberal

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The TMP Lady Monarch soccer team dropped their second match of the season Tuesday at home after Liberal 5-3.

TMP is 5-2-0 on the season.

The travel to Great Bend on Thursday.

TMP baseball splits doubleheader with Great Bend

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The TMP-Marin baseball team split a doubleheader with Great Bend Tuesday at TMP Field.

GAME 1: Great Bend 7, TMP 3
In game-one the Monarchs jumped out to a three-run lead but Great Bend used a five-run fourth to rally for the 7-3 win.

The Monarchs got the scoring started in the second inning, scoring the first run of the game on a fielder’s choice off the bat of Adam Gottschalk. Two batters later Trenton Mayo delivered and RBI single and then with the bases loaded Gavin Schumacher was hit by a pitch giving TMP a 3-0 lead.

Great Bend answered with one in the top of the third, five in the fourth and one more in the fifth on their way to the win.

TMP’s Cole Zimmerman allowed six runs, just two earned over four innings, struck out seven and walked five in the loss.

GAME 2: Great Bend 2, TMP 7
In game two the Monarchs scored four runs in the first and three in the second on their way to the 7-2 win.

With two outs in the bottom of the first TMP’s Luke Ruder walked with the bases loaded to score the first run of the inning. Then two pitches later the Great Bend center fielder couldn’t handle a fly ball to centerfield that allowed TMP to scored three runs on the error.

Chase Werth and Luke Ruder combined to drive in three runs in the second on a pair of run scoring doubles that gave the Monarchs a 7-0 lead through two.

Ruder finished with three RBI’s and Tate Garcia earned the win for TMP. He allowed just one run over four and a third innings. He struck out seven and walked five.

The Monarchs are 9-1 on the season. They travel to Russell on April 24.

Henry Lee “Hank” Hartman

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Henry “Hank” Hartman

Henry Lee “Hank” Hartman, 70, Hays, died Wednesday, April 11, 2018 at his home.

He was born in McCook, Nebraska on October 28, 1947, to Harold V. Hartman and Bertha A. Pettera.  He lived most of his life in Herndon, Kansas, and later in Hays, Kansas.

He attended elementary and high school in Herndon and also St. Joseph’s Military Academy in Hays.  He enlisted in the U.S. Army after graduation and spent a year in Vietnam from 1967 to 1968, earning the rank of Sergeant. Upon his return to the states, he enrolled at Fort Hays State University. There he met his future wife, Cathy Hartman. They married in 1969, and lived in both Wichita and Kansas City before returning to Hays in 1971.  He graduated from Fort Hays in 1974 with a BS degree in Business.

Hank, as he was called, by those close to him, worked in construction for Shade Construction and Reever Construction then later started his own company, Alright Construction, along with partner, Larry Knox.  In 1981, he started a new company, Kleerwater Pools and Spas that he and Cathy have operated until the present day.

Survivors include former wife, Cathy; two sons; Craig Hartman and wife Mindy of Gardner, Kansas, Austin Hartman and wife Janie of Arvada, Colorado; two daughters; Jenessa Hartman and husband Mo Ayach of Hood River, Oregon, and Elizabeth Hartman and partner Thomas of Russell, Kansas, two sisters: Natalie Hafner of Redding, California and Julita Hauptman of Granada Hills, California, nine grandchildren, one great grandchild, and numerous nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents and a son; Bryan J. Hartman.

Henry enjoyed vacationing in Colorado where he spent time with his Grandpa Pettera as a boy. He traveled to many different places as an adult and enjoyed seeing other cultures. He enjoyed playing pool and poker with his friends in addition to boating, fishing, and classic cars. He was a loving father to his children and very proud of all of their accomplishments. Henry had a deep faith in God. He was very generous to his friends and family and was known for helping people who were in need, even complete strangers. His heart was solid gold.  He was a leader, a builder and a doer all of his life and constructed many dwellings and commercial structures, and many more swimming pools across Kansas and surrounding states for everyone to use and enjoy.  Being a leader, he taught and influenced many of his co-workers and employees throughout the years, affecting many lives.  He will be missed.

Graveside services with Fr. Leo Blasi officiating and military honors by the Fort Riley U.S. Army 1st Inf. Div. funeral detail will be at 2:00 pm on Monday, April 23, 2018 at the Kansas Veterans Cemetery, WaKeeney.  Memorials are suggested to the Disabled American Veterans or to the Hays VFW Post #9076, in care of the Hays Memorial Chapel Funeral Home, 1906 Pine Street, Hays,KS 67601.  Condolences may be left for the family at www.haysmemorial.com.

Trump confirms former Kan. congressman met with North Korean leader

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CIA Director Pompeo
Before becoming Director, Mr. Pompeo was serving in his fourth term as congressman from Kansas’ 4th District.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Latest on the United States and North Korea (all times local):

7a.m.

President Donald Trump is confirming that his CIA director met with Kim Jong Un in North Korea “last week” in anticipation of their potential summit.

Trump tweets that Mike Pompeo’s meeting “went very smoothly and a good relationship was formed.”

The president says summit details are being worked out and that “Denuclearization will be a great thing for World, but also for North Korea!”

Trump had said on Tuesday that talks between the U.S. and North Korea were underway at an “extremely high level.”

The summit is expected to take place by early June. Trump says five locations are under consideration.

Pompeo was elected to serve Kansas 4th Congressional District in 2010 until his nomination to serve as CIA Director.
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12:35 a.m.

CIA Director Mike Pompeo recently traveled to North Korea to meet with leader Kim Jong Un, a highly unusual, secret visit undertaken as the enemy nations prepare for a meeting between President Donald Trump and Kim.

Two officials have confirmed the trip to The Associated Press. They are not authorized to discuss the visit publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.

The Washington Post first reported Pompeo’s meeting with Kim, saying it took place just over two weeks ago during Easter weekend.

Trump said the U.S. and North Korea are holding direct talks at “extremely high levels” in preparation for a possible summit with Kim, expected to take place by early June.

White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders says Trump and Kim have not spoken directly.

Hydrant testing moves to south Hays

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HFD

The city of Hays Fire Department will be inspecting and flow testing fire hydrants on Wed., April 18, in the area of Ash St. to Vine St. between 8th St. and 13th St.

This is part of a coordinated effort by the city of Hays to inspect all fire hydrants in the city and flush all water mains annually.

Slight drop in prescription opioids in KS; Norton Co. among biggest decrease

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KDHE

TOPEKA – According to data reported to Kansas’s Prescription Drug Monitoring Program, K-TRACS, there were at least 2,579,058 opioid prescriptions and 189,525,054 opioid units (i.e., pills, patches, films or vials) dispensed to Kansas patients in 2017.

This corresponds to a rate of 88.5 prescriptions per 100 Kansans and 65.1 opioid units per Kansan. This is equivalent to dispensing an approximate 14-day supply of an opioid prescription to 8 out of 10 Kansas residents in 2017.

There has been an 8.99-percent decrease in opioid dispensation statewide from 2016, or approximately 249,942 fewer opioid prescriptions.

Among the 105 Kansas counties, 103 experienced a decrease in opioid dispensation in 2017. Republic, Hamilton, Grant, Haskell and Norton were the five counties with the highest percentage decrease. This decrease may be attributed in part to increased use of K-TRACS by prescribers and pharmacists. In 2017, there were approximately 8,300 prescribers and 2,700 pharmacists using K-TRACS in Kansas – a significant increase from 2016.

 

“Physicians and pharmacists alike see the value of utilizing K-TRACS. It prevents people from going to multiple doctors to get multiple prescriptions filled at multiple pharmacies without the prescribers’ knowledge,” KDHE Chief Medical Officer Dr. Greg Lakin said. “This allows healthcare providers to become aware of those that may need help and treatment with addiction.”

In 2017, the Kansas Board of Pharmacy and Kansas Department of Health and Environment collaborated to integrate K-TRACS data into Electronic Health Records (EHR) and pharmacy management systems. This enhancement to K-TRACS may also assist prescribers and pharmacists with making clinically informed decisions about prescribing or dispensing opioids.

“Bringing a patient’s controlled substance prescription history into the EHR or pharmacy management system eliminates the need to log into separate systems to review these data,” said Kansas Board of Pharmacy Executive Secretary, Alexandra Blasi. “This saves valuable time in a treatment encounter and promotes informed clinical decision-making.” As of April 2018, 21 hospitals, 22 pharmacies and 4 clinics statewide have integrated K-TRACS data into their EHR or pharmacy management system. For more information, or to request integration, please visit https://pharmacy.ks.gov/k-tracs-responsive/k-tracs-statewide-integration.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Prescription Drug Overdose: Data-Driven Prevention Initiative Program supports this project. For more information on opioid prescription dispensation data and Kansas’s efforts to prevent opioid misuse and overdose, please visit www.preventoverdoseks.org. For more information on K-TRACS, please visit www.ktracs.ks.gov.

Extension speaker on emergent literacy at Hays Public Library

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The Cottonwood Extension District, in partnership with the Hays Public Library, will host a free educational program on Emergent Literacy on Wednesday, April 25, 1:30-2:30 pm in the Schmidt Gallery at the Hays Public Library, 1205 Main Street, Hays.

Dr. Bradford Wiles, Extension Child Development specialist, will be the guest speaker for this program which is suitable for parents, grandparents, child care providers and early childhood professionals.

According to Dr Wiles, children become readers and writers though a continuous developmental process called ‘emergent literacy’. While each person learns to read differently, research shows that building emergent literacy skills can be done intentionally and provides great fun for both the adult and child. The most important aspect of the process is to read WITH the child, as opposed to reading TO the child. Join us for this free program to learn how it is done.

Pre-registration is helpful to ensure adequate program materials. Call the Hays office of the Cottonwood Extension District at 785-628-9430 to sign up for this program and learn to set the stage for future development of the children in your life.

NW Kansas dust storm slows deputies working accident

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THOMAS COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities in northwest Kansas battled high winds and blowing dirt responding to an injury accident on U.S. 24 east of Colby Tuesday.

Due to limited visibility, the first deputy on the scene of the accident almost struck one of the disabled vehicles, according to a social media report from the Thomas County Sheriff. The deputy was only able to drive 10 miles-per-hour and didn’t see the vehicle.

A passerby helped the occupants of both vehicles and drove into a field nearby to avoid another accident. A third vehicle did strike one of the other two vehicles but did not remain on scene.

Authorities did not release names of those in the accident or if they required treatment.

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