SEDGWICK COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating the death of a woman at a home in Wichita.

Just after 6 p.m. Monday, police responded to an unknown call for EMS at a residence in the 2700 block of E. 10th Street, according to officer Kevin Wheeler. The victim’s daughter had arrived at the home and found her mother who, is in her 70s, unresponsive.

Officers were made aware of a possible disturbance inside the residence.

Medical personnel performed life-saving measures on the woman, but she was pronounced dead on the scene. The officers also located another male acquaintance of the woman inside the home.

An autopsy has been ordered to assist with the investigation, according to officer Charley Davidson.

Police released no additional details late Monday.
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SEDGWICK COUNTY —  Law enforcement authorities are investigating the death of a woman at a home in Wichita.

Just after 6 p.m. Monday, police responded to an unknown call for EMS at a residence in the 2700 block of E. 10^th Street, according to officer Kevin Wheeler.

Upon arrival, officers were made aware of a possible disturbance inside the residence.  Once inside, they found a woman believed to be in her seventies unresponsive.  

Medical personnel performed life-saving measures on the woman, but she was pronounced dead on the scene. The officers also located another woman and male inside the home. 

Police released no additional details late Monday

MANHATTAN, KS –  Congratulations to Kim Medvid whose design “Little Apple on the Prairie” was selected as the City of Manhattan flag contest design winner.

According to a media release from the city of Manhattan, a total of 3,021 ballots for the new flag were cast through online and in-person voting. The Little Apple on the Prairie design won with 29% of the votes.

“This has been a good process that generated a lot of community interest,” said Assistant City Manager Dennis Marstall. “It’s clear that people embrace the ‘Little Apple’ nickname and want to celebrate the City’s location in the Flint Hills.”

Artists as young as eight years old and as far away as Sweden participated in the contest, submitting 120 designs for consideration. All of the designs had meaningful symbolism that reflected the spirit of the heartland and Manhattan’s unique heritage. The winning design represents Manhattan as a land of growth and opportunity, with the “Little Apple” rising out of the Flint Hills. The colors of the original design were adjusted and represent the following:

GREEN: fertility of the land, opportunity for growth, and the native grasses of the Flint Hills
BLUE: The Big Blue and Kansas Rivers, peace, and the expansive sky over the prairie
WHITE: Manhattan’s limitless future
The next step will be for the City Commission to consider adopting the voters’ choice at the August 20 meeting. The new flag design will pair with the existing City of Manhattan logo and will be used as one of the symbols for the City. Flags will be flown at City Hall and in other locations around the City.

CONCORDIA — Cloud County Health Center announced Monday that it plans to build a new $40,347,000 facility.

It will do so without seeking local tax support for the construction project, and thus will continue to be one of the few critical access hospitals in the state that does not receive tax support, according to Dave Garnas, CCHC administrator.

CCHC plans to approach the Concordia City Commission for an option to secure a tract of land along College Drive for the new facility.

“We are not the same hospital we were five years ago, and for that matter, we’re not the same hospital we were a year ago. I’m proud to report that Cloud County Health Center has enjoyed a financial and operational stabilization,” Garnas told the group assembled on Broadway Plaza Monday.

“Due in no small part to our partnership with Salina Regional Health Center and due largely to the continued high quality of care provided by our doctors, advanced practice providers, and staff. We have added providers. We have added specialists, from, I think, in just the last year, five or six. We’ve added a walk-in clinic to serve you, our community, better. And most importantly, we have done these things with sound financial footing,” Garnas said.

“With our house in good order, our board, Salina Regional, and leadership made a decision in December to start working toward providing a health care facility to match,” he said.

According to Garnas, a group of community and staff members worked with architects and people who provided the health center’s master facility plan.

“This group looked at the cost of remodeling the current facility and the cost to build a new facility,” he said. “The group ultimately decided that building a new facility would be more financially feasible for the long run.”

Garnas noted that the current facility has served the community well for 68 years.

“But health care has changed and our facility needs need to change as well. This team worked to design a space that works best for our patients, staff, and community and a space that can serve us well for the next 40 plus years,” he said.

Garnas said that while the team members sometimes differed on design needs, all agreed that the project should be pursued without seeking local tax dollars.

“Instead, we are pursuing financing through USDA and with the support of our partners at Salina Regional Health Center,” he said. “In the next six months, we will be working with the USDA on all the steps necessary for this new facility. We are hopeful to have a final answer from the USDA in late December.”

Garnas said that the USDA program available to critical access hospitals allows more favorable rates and payback periods than a more conventional loan.

“We estimate that starting after we receive approval from USDA that it will take eight months to design the building with ground breaking no later than early 2021,” he said.

Garnas asked the public for two things: to use the CCHC facilities and to think of ways to contribute toward financing the cost of the new facility.

SHAWNEE COUNTY— Law enforcement and railroad authorities are investigating a fatal accident in Shawnee County.

Just after 6:30a.m. Tuesday, emergency crews responded to a train vs pedestrian accident in the 5700 block of South Topeka Boulevard in Topeka, according to Sgt. Todd Stallbaumer.

An Amtrak train was northbound when a pedestrian identified as William N. Reynolds III, 64, of Topeka, attempted to cross the track.

The train struck and killed Reynolds. BNSF Police and MTAA assisted at the scene.

Authorities released no additional details Tuesday.