Kenneth Karl Orth, age 75, a longtime resident of Woodland Park, passed away on May 24, 2019 in his Woodland Park home from a lengthy battle with cancer.
Kenneth was born on October 25, 1943, in Hays, Kansas, the son of the late Carl Orth and Elizabeth (Seitz) Orth.
He married the late Virginia (Brungardt) Orth on February 3, 1964 and together they raised their four children.
Kenneth and Virginia moved to Woodland Park in 1976 and have lived there ever since. Kenneth spent his life as a self-employed machinist and he was a master craftsman who was devoted to his family. His passions were being an avid outdoors’ man, hunting, fishing and gun collector.
Ken is preceeded in death by his parents, his wife, daughter in law, Lisa Orth, sister, Martha Schulte, brother, Marvin Orth, and two infant siblings.
He is lovingly survived by, his children, Karl (Andrea) Orth, Scott Orth, Jennifer Wiseman, David Orth, grandchildren, Karisa (Joey Bebb) Williams, Lindsey (Yusuf) Hasan, Sarah Orth and Ryan Orth, great grandson, Braedon Williams, sisters, Betty Huschka and Carol Dielh, and his close friend Loni Anderson.
Visitation, 5:00PM-7:30PM, Thursday, May 30, 2019 at Blunt Mortuary, 2229 West Colorado Avenue, Colorado Springs, Colorado, 80904.
Rosary, 7:30PM, Thursday, May 30, 2019 at Blunt Mortuary.
Mass of Christian Burial, 12:00PM, Friday, May 31, 2019, Our Lady of the Woods Catholic Church, 116 S. West Street, Woodland Park, Colorado, 80863.
Burial to follow at Fairview Cemetery, Colorado Springs, Colorado.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Kenneth’s name to Pikes Peak Hospice.
WASHINGTON – Joseph P. Galichia M.D., a Wichita, Kansas, cardiologist, has agreed to pay $5.8 million to resolve allegations that he and his medical group, Galichia Medical Group, P.A. (GMED), violated the False Claims Act by improperly billing federal health care programs for medically unnecessary cardiac stent procedures, according to a media release from the U.S. Department of Justice.
Dr. Joseph Galichia- courtesy photo
Galichia also agreed to a three-year period of exclusion from participation in any federal health care program. The settlement relates to a lawsuit in which the United States intervened on Dec. 12, 2014.
“This settlement reflects the Department of Justice’s commitment to ensuring the safety of federal health care program beneficiaries and that taxpayer monies are properly spent,” said Assistant Attorney General Jody Hunt of the Department of Justice’s Civil Division.
“Patient safety is critically important,” said U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister for the District of Kansas. “Performing medically unnecessary procedures puts patients at risk and defrauds federal health care programs.”
“When a physician bills the government for medically unnecessary procedures, both patients’ health and taxpayers can end up paying the price,” said Special Agent in Charge Steve Hanson of the Office of Inspector General for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. “OIG is excluding Dr. Galichia from participation in Medicare, Medicaid, and other federal health care programs, and we will continue to work with our partners to protect the health and welfare of Medicare beneficiaries.”
The government contended that Galichia and GMED knowingly submitted false billings from Jan. 1, 2008, through Dec.31, 2014, for surgical procedures in which Galichia implanted coronary stents that were not medically necessary. The allegedly false billings were submitted to Medicare, the Defense Health Agency, and the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program.
This is the government’s third False Claims Act settlement with Galichia and GMED. In 2009, Galichia and GMED paid $1.3 million to settle allegations that they submitted claims for services not provided or lacking proper documentation. In 2000, Galichia and GMED paid $1.5 million to settle allegations that they submitted claims for a higher level of service than provided, billed twice for the same services, and billed for services not provided.
The settlement announced resolves allegations in a lawsuit filed by Aly Gadalla M.D., in the United States District Court for the District of Kansas. The lawsuit was filed under the qui tam, or whistleblower, provisions of the False Claims Act, which permit private individuals to sue on behalf of the government for false claims and to share in any recovery. The Act also allows the government to intervene and take over the action, as it did in this case. Dr. Gadalla will receive approximately $1.16 million.
The government’s resolution of this matter illustrates the government’s emphasis on combating health care fraud. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement, can be reported to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477).
The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Kansas and the Department of Justice’s Civil Division, in conjunction with the HHS-OIG, the FBI, the Defense Health Agency on behalf of the TRICARE program, the Defense Criminal Investigative Service of the Inspector General for the Department of Defense, and the Office of Personnel Management, Office of Inspector General.
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Fire officials in Topeka are investigating what caused a massive fire that tore through a downtown warehouse.
Wednesday evening fire in downtown Topeka photo courtesy WIBW TV
The fire was reported Wednesday evening at the Trails Market and Gallery, and firefighters battled the flames into early Thursday morning. All that remains of the warehouse is an empty brick shell. No injuries were reported.
The fire spread to the Kansas Avenue Lofts, which opened only months ago. Firefighters say the blaze scorched the northeast end of the four-floor apartment building, but there was no indication early Thursday that the fire had gotten inside the lofts.
There were no immediate damage estimates from the fire. Fire investigators from both the city and state planned to begin the process Thursday morning of determining how and where the fire started.
Carol F. McKinney, age 82, passed away on May 28, 2019 at Parklane Nursing Home in Scott City, Kansas.
She was born on June 28, 1936 in Independence, Missouri, the daughter of George and Florence Burroughs. A resident of western Kansas since 1974, she was a nurse aide and a member of First Baptist Church.
Survivors include her three daughters – Carole “Dorie” and husband Robert “Mac” Mackenzie of Bright, Indiana, Brenda and husband Harvey Tucker of Scott City, Kansas, and Dana and husband Donald Rains of Thackerville, Oklahoma, two stepchildren – David and wife LaDonna McKinney of Scott City, Kansas and Susan and husband Tim Myers of Kalvesta, Kansas, other survivors include her brother Mickey and wife Barbara Dobbins of Arizona, two sisters, Thelma Palmer of Kansas City and JoAnn Foster of Arkansas, and numerous grandchildren, great grandchildren, great-great grandchildren, nieces and nephews.
She was predeceased by her parents, a brother, two sisters, a son, three stepchildren and three husbands.
Private inurnment will be at a later date and time in the Scott County Cemetery in Scott City, Kansas.
Memorials in Lieu of Flowers may be made to the Carol McKinney Memorial Fund in care of Price & Sons Funeral Home.
SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating an injury accident involving five juveniles.
Police on the scene of the accident-photo courtesy KWCH
Just before 4p.m. Wednesday, police were dispatched to report of an injury accident involving a Volvo SUV near 25th and Raleigh in Wichita, according to officer Paul Cruz.
There were five 14-year-olds in the vehicle.
Investigators learned that the vehicle had been reported stolen early Wednesday morning, according to Cruz. Investigators also believe the vehicle may have been involved in a drive-by shooting in the 2700 Block of North Poplar just before the accident. Police did find an occupied residence that had been struck by gunfire. The victim at the home was not cooperating with the police investigation, according to Cruz.
EMS transported the five juveniles to an area hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries.
Five-year-old Becky answered the door when the census taker came by. She told the census taker that her daddy was a doctor and wasn’t home because he was performing an appendectomy.
“My,” said the census taker, “that sure is a big word for such a little girl. Do you know what it means?”
“Sure do! Fifteen hundred bucks, and that doesn’t even include the anesthesiologist!”
The first Hays citywide garage sale is scheduled for this weekend and the community has embraced the event, with sales planned across the community.
Event organizer Laurie Mortinger said she wanted to organize the event in Hays after seeing successful events elsewhere.
“I know a lot of people that go to garage sales, and a lot of people that have them, and we thought we go out of town, and we go to those sales all the time in the surrounding communities they are kind of fun,” she said. “You take a day and go out and eat with the girls, goof off and garage sale. It is just a blast so I said ‘Let’s do it in Hays.’ ”
After asking around, she found others in the community were interested, so she began planning.
“Hays never gets one going, so we got a few people together that wanted to have a sale and we picked out some dates and we said ‘Let’s do it,’ ” Mortinger said.
And now the event that started as a simple idea has gained a lot of traction in the community.
“I think we have had a pretty good response this year, so far I think there is over 70 in Hays,” she said.
And with the significant interest, Mortinger said she hopes the event will continue every year.
“That’s the goal, to continue to do it,” she said.
With so many people registering their sales, Mortinger said there are several places to get a listing of all the sales.
Flyers are currently being printed that should be available Thursday at the Hays visitor center, 2700 Vine; Kwik Shop, 1301 Vine; and Love’s, 2500 Vine.
Northwestern Printers, 114 W. Ninth, donated the printing of the flyers, Mortinger said, and a friend donated the paper.
“So we didn’t have to charge anybody to do the flyers,” she said. “That was very nice of them. We want to thank them.”
She hopes the flyers can be continued for future events.
“Sometimes when you get into printing you have to start paying for those things unless we could find a sponsor,” Mortinger said. “Hopefully we will continue to be able to get somebody to sponsor us, or help us out, so we won’t have to charge people to advertise it.”
Mortinger said there are also sales planned that missed the printing deadline that can be found online.
Those online listings will also provide specific items for sale.
While the citywide sale is a prime opportunity to find deals or unload some unwanted items, some are using the day to fundraise for community organizations.
“I think that is great,” Mortinger said, noting she was aware of the Daughters of the American Revolution and the Ellis County Cancer Council were holding sales as fundraisers.
Mortinger said she hopes the event is a positive experience for the community and offered advice to participants.
“Get everybody you know and go out and have fun,” she said. “If you want to go and have a garage sale, let somebody watch your booth and you can go garage selling and come back.”
The citywide sale is scheduled for Friday from 8 a.m. to dark and Saturday 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.
As tornado sirens sounded in Hays late Tuesday afternoon, the Ellis County Rural Fire Department was dispatched to fight a tank battery fire in rural Ellis County after a lightning strike.
At 5:13 p.m., the department responded to a fire at Toulon and Catharine Road, finding the tank battery on fire, But with the recent heavy rains, trucks were unable to get close to the fire, according to Darin Myers, Ellis County Fire Chief and Emergency Manager.
Instead, responders ran over 400 feet of water lines through a field to get to the tank.
Myers
“It seemed that the fiberglass top burnt off,” Myers said.
The crew was able to extinguish the fire using foam and water and had left the scene at 6:39 p.m.
With severe weather in the area, Myers said sometimes a decision needs to be whether the fire crew continues to fight a fire, or rather move to a safe location and let the fire burn until the situation is safe.
“We’ve had to do that,” he said, noting putting out a rural tank battery fire when the battery is already destroyed often does not necessitate risking firefighters’ safety.
“There is no reason to risk a lot to save a little,” Myers said.
With this fire, however, the crew was able to put out the fire before any weather hit the immediate area.
“They were able to get out of their trucks and fight the fire without the danger of another storm,” he said.
But a few weeks ago during a similar incident, crews were forced to wait for a storm to pass to put out the fire.
“Obviously, the best option is to put the fire out, but the primary concern for us is the safety of our personnel,” Myers said.
With a tank battery fire, there are sometimes concerns with not being able to put a fire right away that must be considered.
“The risk you have to look at by not putting the fire out right away (is) what else is going to happen?” he said, noting the possibilities oil leaking outside or a fire spreading to other tanks make the situation is more critical.
“In these cases, that didn’t happen,” he said.
Another risk with these types of fires is an explosion, which could spread to other tanks nearby.
“You have to be careful about accessing the situation to make sure you are not putting a firefighter up to a tank that is close to exploding,” Myers said.
Gonzales -photo Ellis Co.By JONATHAN ZWEYGARDT Hays Post
A Hays man pleaded no contest to three sex-related crimes Wednesday and is expected to be sentenced to more than two and a half years in prison.
Hunter Gonzales entered the no contest pleas to two counts of reckless aggravated battery, a level five person felony, and one misdemeanor count of sexual battery in Ellis County District Court.
As a result of the pleas and evidence presented by the Ellis County Attorney, District Judge Glenn Braun found Gonzales guilty.
Gonzales originally was charged with rape and aggravated criminal sodomy after a Hays woman said Gonzales forced himself on her in November 2017.
Under the agreement, Gonzales is expected to be sentenced to 32 months in prison for one count of reckless aggravated battery. Once he has served out his sentence, he will be placed on probation for five years.
Ellis County Attorney Tom Drees said if Gonzales violates his probation, he could face an additional 32 months in prison for the second reckless aggravated battery charge and 12 months for the misdemeanor sexual battery.
The 32-month sentence is contingent on a pre-sentence investigation.
He will also have to register as a sex offender for 15 years.
Randy ClinkscalesI have a family trip planned. All the family is going. It involves airplane flights with several changes. It involves coordinating the schedules of seven different people.
I am writing this the morning after my dreams were filled with nightmares: the fear of missing my flights, and one of the flights being rescheduled which ruined our trip.
My dream involved me not being able to get away from the office at the last minute; or some other personal issue that prevented me from getting to the airport on time. Try as I may, it seems like I was stuck in tar and the harder I tried to get free, the more tangled I got. As it got closer and closer to the departure time, the more I felt trapped, unable to untangle myself. I wondered what would happen if I missed the trip altogether and my family went on it by themselves. I woke up in a sweat. So I wrote this article.
From an objective standpoint, I know that whether I get to the flight on time is really up to me. I am several weeks out from the trip. I can adjust my schedule so I can be there on time.
On the other hand, if the flights get changed or delayed there is nothing I can do about that now. No amount of worry is going to “fix” whether the airlines have some change over which I have no control.
It really boils down to what can I fix and should plan for; and what can I not fix or plan for? For the former (me being on time) I can plan; for the latter (the airline changing its schedules), my worrying does not fix anything.
Objectively, it seems pretty simple; in practice, when it is you, it is not so simple.
The last couple of weeks have been emotionally draining, while in the end, they ended up being uplifting. A couple of families came to see us. In one case, the children and the parents were both in the room. Dad has dementia, and he knows it. He fears not being able to care for his family, of losing his memory, of becoming something that he has never been, and his loss of dignity and his pride. The family is heartbroken for dad. They are heartbroken for mom as she journeys with Dad. They fear for her safety, both physically and financially.
In another case with another family, Dad has gone through a series of health issues. Not only does he have some dementia, he has lost his eyesight and has lost a lot of functioning of his extremities. He is no longer able to bathe, feed, or dress himself. But he still knows the family. He knows that things are not good. He is angry; he is depressed; and he is terribly frustrated at his plight. His family is heartbroken at the plight that they find their father. He has always been a good, strong man. A good father; a good husband. But now the end of life is being so difficult for him. At times the entire room was sobbing in the heartbreak that they expressed to me.
With both families we visited. We broke down what kind of things we could control. We addressed those issues: financial fears; caregiver issues; short term plans for healthcare; long term plans for healthcare; and creating tools for the caregivers.
We also talked about those things we cannot control. In both cases Dad is on a journey. We need to accept that he is on this journey. We need to fix the things that we can fix, and stop worrying about the things that we cannot fix. We need to be with Dad and appreciate our opportunity to be with him on this journey.
In the end, the families were very relieved that they had a plan; and the fear was replaced by peace of mind.
Frankly, we could write books about fear and how to address it. But I know that when people come into my office fear is very real; it is tangible; whether they can control it or not, it is controlling them.
With the two families that I met with, I think part of the key to getting rid of the fear that they had, was accepting that each had a loved one on a journey with a difficult end; that they should be ready for that; and to not fear what they could not control.
Unfortunately, we can let fear paralyze all aspects of our lives. Sometimes it is difficult to step back and figure out what we can fix and what we cannot fix. Fear can throw a dark cloak over all aspects of your life.
On a lighter note, I will be at the Hays airport two hours prior to my trip departure, even if the airport is not yet open.
Randy Clinkscales of Clinkscales Elder Law Practice, PA, Hays, Kansas, is an elder care attorney, practicing in western Kansas. To contact him, please send an email to [email protected]. Disclaimer: The information in the column is for general information purposes and does not constitute legal advice. Each case is different and outcomes depend on the fact of each case and the then applicable law. For specific questions, you should contact a qualified attorney.
Are you interested in helping provide safe drinking water to the citizens of Hays? If so, the City of Hays is looking for you! Hays is looking for a reliable Plant Operator to help maintain water operations.
Typical work schedule includes 5 days a week, including every other weekend. Twice a week this position covers 3rd shift (12 am – 8 am). The other three days are 1st shift (8 am – 4 pm). Employee may choose to move to a M-F 8 am – 4 pm schedule when an internal position opens.
Requirements
Valid driver’s license & High School Degree or GED required.Dependability, great attendance record, and a positive attitude is a must. On the job training provided for the technical skills. This position requires a CDL Class B and has a residency requirement of Ellis County within 6 months of employment.
Compensation
Entry Level Pay: $13.65/hour with opportunities to advance to Plant Operator II and Senior Plant Operator based on skills and required certifications. Pay based on experience. Guaranteed raises every year. The City of Hays offers great benefits including health insurance, KPERS, Paid Time Off & Holidays. For a full list of benefits visit www.haysusa.com.
How to Apply
Applications will be accepted in City Hall, 1507 Main, Hays, KS or online at www.haysusa.com until position is filled. Questions about the position may be sent to Alissa at [email protected] or by calling 785-628-7320.
Wet, muddy pastures require special grazing techniques
As this year’s wet weather continues, most pastures are soft and wet. Grazing can quickly get these pastures muddy and damaged by hoof traffic.
Use special grazing techniques to limit damage in soft, muddy pastures. The worst thing you can do is graze a pasture for several days until it’s all torn up and then move to a new area. Trampling that occurs repeatedly over several days greatly weakens plants; doing this across a wide area can reduce production for months, even years.
In contrast, pastures muddied up by grazing only briefly usually recover quickly. Maybe not as fast as when the ground is solid, but fast enough to minimize yield or stand loss.
Take advantage of this rapid recovery by moving animals frequently, at least once a day, to a new area. This might require subdividing pastures with temporary electric fences to increase the number of new areas you can move cattle into. Fencing supplies you use around corn stalks during winter should work well for this temporary use. Once the ground firms up you can return to your normal grazing rotation.
Another option is to graze all your cattle together in one small ‘sacrifice’ area until the rest of your pasture ground gets solid again, feeding hay if needed. This protects most of your pasture acres from trampling losses. But it can virtually destroy the area grazed so it might need reseeding. This may be a small price to pay, though, to protect the rest of your acres.
Don’t let mud and trampling ruin your pastures. Temporary grazing adjustments can save grass now and for the future.
Alicia Boor is an Agriculture and Natural Resources agent in the Cottonwood District (which includes Barton and Ellis counties) for K-State Research and Extension. You can contact her by e-mail at [email protected] or calling 620-793-1910.
MCPHERSON — McPherson College, a four-year private college located in central Kansas, has announced the names of students earning degrees and graduating from the college in May.
Area students include:
Hays
Brooke Russell, Bachelor of Science, Bus Admin:Mangmt/Marktg
Osborne
Parkes Wolters, Bachelor of Science, Biochemistry
Portis
Brandt Wolters, Bachelor of Science, Bus Admin:Mangmt/Marktg
Stockton
Justin Wiltfong, Bachelor of Science, Phys Ed:Sports Mngmnt
Kenneth Karl Orth, age 75, a longtime resident of Woodland Park, passed away on May 24, 2019 in his Woodland Park home from a lengthy battle with cancer.
