FINNEY COUNTY— One person died in an accident just after 8:30p.m. Wednesday in Finney County.
The Kansas. Highway Patrol reported a 1997 Ford F150 driven by Rafael Marino-Ortiz, 54, Schuler, NE., west bound on U.S. 50 six miles east of Garden City.
The pickup had tire damage. The driver lost control of the vehicle. It left the roadway to the north, rolled and a passenger was ejected
Adame-Leon, Guadalupe, 72, Schuyler, NE, was pronounced dead at the scene.
Marino-Ortiz, Rafael and passenger, Cristina Solache-Tellez, 45, Lexington, NE., were transported to the hospital in Garden City. The two passengers were not wearing seat belts, according to the KHP.
LEAVENWORTH – A Kansas woman has been found guilty of Medicaid fraud and committing a computer crime, according to Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt.
Mathis photo Leavenworth County
Ena Louise Mathis, 53, Leavenworth, pleaded guilty in Leavenworth County District Court to one felony count of Medicaid fraud and one felony count of committing a computer crime.
The case stemmed from an investigation by the Attorney General’s Office Medicaid Fraud and Abuse Division, which revealed Mathis submitted false claims to the Medicaid program to pay for in-home assistance for a Medicaid beneficiary during times when the beneficiary was in a hospital or a resident in a nursing facility.
In total, Mathis falsely billed the Medicaid program for $6,425 over an interactive computer system used by the Medicaid program. The crimes occurred between July 28, 2016, and January 31, 2017.
HUTCHINSON, Kan. (AP) — A Kansas man is suing the city and a police officer after he was stopped while riding a bicycle and subsequently spent time in jail for a drug conviction that was later overturned.
Jon Heter has three previous drug convictions and one for driving while suspended, according to the Kansas Dept. of Corrections
Jon Heter, 55, Hutchinson, was stopped in November 2016 for not having a headlight on his bike. When Heter gave a false name to the officer and refused to give his birthday, officer Josh Long arrested him.
Long later discovered Heter had an outstanding warrant and also found methamphetamine in a container on the bike. Heter was convicted of drug charges and spent three months in prison before the conviction was overturned.
In a lawsuit filed Monday, Heter argues his constitutional rights were violated and the arrest was unlawful. Heter is seeking more than $75,000 in damages.
OVERLAND PARK, Kan. (AP) — The federal government has accused Sprint Corp. of failing to provide service to low-income subscribers after accepting millions of dollars in subsidies to do so.
Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai said Tuesday he’s asked the agency’s enforcement bureau to investigate.
KCUR reports Sprint said it had used government funds to provide monthly subsidies for about 885,000 subscribers to the program, called Lifeline. Under the program, low-income consumers are given a $9.25 monthly subsidy toward phone and broadband service
FCC spokesman Mark Wigfield said it’s unclear how much money Sprint received for the program. But Sprint collected at least $8.2 million a month for some period of time.
Sprint said in a statement that it made an error in July 2017 while implementing changes to the Lifeline program that the FCC had approved. Sprint said it would reimburse federal and state governments for subsidy payments collected because of the error
With respect to your right to make these decisions on behalf of all the citizens of the District which you represent, please consider the following regarding naming the buildings recently purchased by us.
The naming of a public building or improvement should serve at least two purposes: clearly identify the purpose and use of the building and encourage respect for the mission of your governmental subdivision.
In the case of the 2501 E. 13th building complex, the purpose and use of the facility is to house the early childhood education programs of the District. The opportunity to engender respect for the mission of giving our students an early and effective start in the lengthy education process is obvious — find someone who exemplifies that and put their name on it. Tell the public where it is.
Please refer to my earlier letters regarding this, and please recall that you asked the public for suggestions. To name the building complex the East 13th Street Kolb Early Childhood Education Center or some variation of that accomplishes all of the core purposes of naming the buildings.
Teachers, patrons, students, taxpayers, government leaders and the thousands of other people whose lives Emma Kolb affected in all-positive ways will appreciate knowing that this School District remembers its heroes and honors them.
This weekend is Hays High School Homecoming. Take a moment to ask the Classes of 1969, 1979, 1989, 1999 and others if they remember Emma Kolb. Ask your faculty if they have heard of her. She gave all of her adult life to the children of western Kansas and particularly Hays and I know of dozens of your current teachers who went into the profession at least partly because of her.
Adding 13th Street to the name will let the general public know where this place is.
When they enter the building they will see that you had the foresight and heart to name it after a teacher who devoted herself to early
childhood education. We will know that you listened to the people you asked to give you public input, which will help this District with its own credibility when it asks us to support new infrastructure and programs.
Respectfully,
John T. Bird
Lincoln School Class of 1960
Hays High School Class of 1966
Hays
Betty Lou Kessler, 89, long time Kansas resident, passed away on Friday, September 13, 2019, at Atria Senior Living Residence in Virginia Beach, Virginia. She is dearly missed by family and friends.
Betty was born on August 11, 1930, in Ransom, Kansas, the daughter of Harold Schuyler and Alma Rosetta (Grisell) See. She grew up in Ransom, sister to brothers Billie Joe and Charles, where she was Valedictorian of her senior class.
Twice receiving National 4-H honors, she was accomplished as a seamstress, woodworker, high school athlete, and multi-talented musician. She attended Fort Hays State College in Hays, Kansas, where she pursued a Bachelor’s Degree in music education, was a member of the Alpha Pi chapter of Sigma Alpha Iota music fraternity, met her future husband, and was featured in 1952 “Who’s Who in American Colleges and Universities.”
Soon after graduation, on June 07, 1952, Betty was joined in marriage with Richard Sam Kessler in Ransom, Kansas. From this union they raised three children, Charles, Jolene and Brenda. Betty and Richard remained in Kansas and shared a life rich with common interests throughout their fifty-three year marriage. They resided in McCracken, Russell, Hays, and Lawrence before moving to Wichita in 1976, where they lived for more than thirty-five years.
Betty was a dedicated music teacher in her local schools for thirty years, and had a passion for creating individualized learning opportunities for students. In Hays, she completed a Master’s Degree in Music Education and an Education Specialist Degree at Fort Hays State College. In Lawrence, she served as an enthusiastic and dedicated president of the Lawrence Education Association.
After thirty years, Betty retired from teaching in 1982, and redirected her energy and love of working with people into a second career in real estate. Joining Anita Frey, then Plaza Del Sol Realty, she became a highly successful real estate agent in Wichita. For twenty-five years she loved to help families find the perfect home and made many lasting friendships in the process.
She and Richard shared interests in photography, gardening, musical theater, the Kansas City Chiefs, KU sports teams, and traveling to pursue genealogical research and to visit family in Las Vegas, Hawaii, Boston, Italy, and Virginia. She particularly loved spending time with family and friends.
Old family photos sparked a passion in Betty for family history and genealogy. She inherited her grandfather’s diary, written while he served as a White House guard for President Lincoln during the Civil War. Always a history buff, Richard was a willing travel companion while they researched pieces of the story ‘on the road,’ often one tiny cemetery at a time. Following Richard’s death on May 05, 2005, Betty remained an active member of the First United Methodist Church and the Midwest Historical and Genealogical Society. She worked to complete a transcription of her grandfather’s diary begun by a cousin, and donated it to the Soldier’s Home, a museum in Washington D.C. dedicated to Abraham Lincoln, where she was honored in a public reception when the conserved diary was placed on view.
Several years after Richard’s death, Betty moved nearer to family in Las Vegas, Nevada; then to Virginia Beach, Virginia, where she remained until her death.
Surviving family include her son Charles (Chuck) Kessler and wife Becky of Las Vegas, Nevada and daughters Jolene Kessler of Boston, Massachusetts and Brenda McCanon and husband Brian of Lexington, Virginia; ten grandchildren and fifteen great-grandchildren.
Betty was preceded in death by her parents, husband Richard, and two brothers, Charles Herman and Billie Joe See.
Betty’s love for Kansas and her desire to return never wavered. Though we are sad at her passing, we are happy to welcome her back home.
A celebration of Betty’s life will be held at 10:30 A.M. on Monday, September 30, 2019, at the Pohlman-Varner-Peeler Mortuary in Russell, Kansas. Burial will follow at the Russell City Cemetery. Family will greet guests the day of the service.
A program and a goal of increasing the number of advanced nursing practitioners in rural Kansas communities have helped the Department of Nursing at Fort Hays State University win the largest individual grant ever at Fort Hays State University.
The program is called the BSN to DNP track. It is a pathway for nurses who have the Bachelor of Science in Nursing to earn the Doctor of Nursing Practice, an advanced practice family nurse practitioner degree without having to leave home. The grant is $2,796,398 from the Health Resources and Services Administration of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Dr. Jenny Manry, chair of FHSU’s Department of Nursing, said the project has two goals: to increase the number and quality of nurse practitioners in rural areas of the state, and to increase collaboration with clinical sites and on-site professional mentors (called preceptors) to recruit, train and educate the program’s students.
“The BSN to DNP program at FHSU focuses on preparing students to care for populations from the newborn to the elderly,” she said. “Students perform clinicals with both physicians and family nurse practitioners across Kansas, with many students coming from rural and frontier areas.”
The grant covers four years. The program requires 75 credit hours of coursework and, over two years, 900 clinical hours. About half of the grant will go to students as stipends. The aim, said Manry, is to cut down on the hours students have to work to sustain themselves and to provide travel money. “I have some students who drive an hour or an hour and a half every day to go to their clinical sites,” she said.
Jayda Edgar, who is in her third year of the DNP program, has a passion for rural America,
“I hope to continue working in small, rural areas as these are the communities that are struggling to find providers,” she said. “I love the personal connection with the patients and communities.”
The stipend, she said, has been very welcome.
“This stipend has lightened my financial burden tremendously and allows me to focus on my schoolwork,” she said. “I do not think I can put into words my gratitude for this.”
Manry said Edgar is just one of the students who has been positively impacted by the grant. She said she hopes that the funding will impact rural communities by giving students a slight reprieve from financial burdens and allow them to complete the DNP program, which may not otherwise have been possible.
About 50 students are currently working toward their degrees in the BSN to DNP track.
About the grant:
This project is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of an award totaling $2,796,398 with zero percentage financed with non-governmental sources. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by HRSA, HHS or the U.S. Government.
WASHINGTON — It’s vaping week on capitol hill. House Committee on Oversight and Reform heard from officials at the CDC Tuesday.
KDHE Secretary Dr. Lee Norman during Wednesday’s testimony image courtesy Energy and Commerce Committee
On Wednesday, Kansas Department of Health and Environment Secretary Dr. Lee Norman addressed the subcommittee in Washington. The hearing “Sounding the Alarm: The Public Health Threats of E-Cigarettes.” Kansas has had two confirmed deaths related to vaping.
Chair DeGette, Ranking Member Guthrie, and distinguished subcommittee members thank you for the opportunity to appear before the House Energy and Commerce Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee today to discuss the need to the public health emergency regarding e-cigarettes, or as the industry has termed it, vaping.
We greatly appreciate your attention to this issue of critical importance to the health of the population. As the State Health Officer of Kansas, a US Army Lieutenant Colonel and the State Surgeon of Kansas, and as a recently-deployed 35th Infantry theater medical commander in the Middle East, I have personally witnessed the deleterious impact addiction to any substance, whether it be nicotine, alcohol or illicit substances has on the citizens of Kansas and the economic costs to our entire health care system. I am now witnessing an outbreak of lung diseases impacting our state and recently claim the life of one Kansan. Our youth were poised to be the generation that ended smoking.
That legacy is now in jeopardy. Youth usage of e-cigarettes, along with outbreak of lung diseases that continue to be investigated, is alarming. As a physician, public servant, military serviceman, father and grandfather,
I owe it to the troops I work with, the staff I support and the Kansans I serve, to do what I can to win this battle for our youth. In Kansas, we currently have eight probable/confirmed vaping related cases with one of those being a death. Of the cases, four are male and four are female and range in age from 17-57 years old. All were hospitalized, five have been released from the hospital and two remain hospitalized. Regarding the types of vaping products used, three of the patients reported using only nicotine, two reported only THC, one reported using CBD, and two reported using both THC and nicotine.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) e-cigarettes typically contain nicotine, most also contain flavorings and other chemicals, and some may contain marijuana or other substances. They are known by many different names and come in many shapes, sizes and device types. E-cigarettes can contain harmful or potentially harmful substances, including nicotine, heavy metals (e.g., lead), volatile organic compounds, and cancer-causing chemicals.
Additionally, some e-cigarette products are used to deliver illicit substances; may be acquired from unknown or unauthorized (i.e., “street”) sources; and may be modified for uses that could increase their potential for harm to the user.
Youth, young adults, pregnant women, as well as adults who do not currently use tobacco products should not use e-cigarettes. E-cigarettes containing nicotine have the potential to help some individual adult smokers reduce their use of and transition away from cigarettes.
However, e-cigarettes are not currently approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as a quit smoking aid, and the available science is inconclusive on whether e-cigarettes are effective for quitting smoking.1 E-cigarettes are the most commonly used tobacco product among youth.
Forty-four percent of Kansas high school youth who use e-cigarettes also currently use conventional cigarettes. Nationally, 96.1 percent of youth who initiated e-cigarette use between 2016 and 2017 did so with a flavored e-cigarette product. Preliminary findings from the 2019 National Youth Tobacco Survey (NYTS) were reported. They found over one quarter of U.S. high school students report using an e-cigarette product in the past 30 days, an increase from 2018 when the rate of past 30-day use was 20.8 percent. Most teens who are vaping never smoked cigarettes.
Vaping is how they are initiating inhaling substances into their lungs. In Kansas, the top reasons why youth report using e-cigarettes include: a friend or family member uses, its availability in different flavors; and they perceive it as being less harmful than other forms of tobacco. We must work diligently to stop youth from acquiring and using e-cigarettes or vaping devices.
States are taking a leading role in implementing strong action to protect consumers from the harms of ecigarette product use. New York has also banned most flavored vaping products but will allow mint and menthol flavorings to remain on the shelves. California announced a crackdown on illegal and counterfeit vaping products and allocated funds into a public awareness campaign on vaping harms. Kansas is committed to combating the issue.
We are actively reviewing policy options to address this epidemic, which includes options to ban of flavored e-cigarette products through executive action or passing of legislation as the federal government moves ahead with its own regulatory plan. To increase education regarding e-cigarettes and what the tobacco industry has termed as “vaping,”
KDHE and the Kansas Department of Education partnered to develop a Vape-Free Schools kit. Schools are urged to adopt the kit and parents and caretakers are encouraged to have conversations with their children. I recognize this to be a public health emergency of considerable importance. As Chief Medical Officer of large health systems for over 25 years,
I have served as incident commander for H1N1 pandemic influenza, Ebola, the ongoing opioid epidemic, and now this. We are currently losing the battle against e-cigarettes and vaping, and we do not even understand the cause. We need a diligent and consistent approach to solving this, including thoughtful policy-making and regulatory changes, in the name of consumer protection and the public’s health. I am happy to participate in the effort.
Preliminary autopsy results indicate Norton Correctional Facility Central Unit offender Jeremy J. Palmer died as a result of a cardiac event on Sept. 16.
MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — The trial of a Kansas man charged in an infant’s death ended in a hung jury.
The jury on Tuesday could not reach a unanimous verdict in the first-degree murder and child abuse trial of D’Khari Lyons of Manhattan. Lyons was charged after 2½-month-old Michael Calver Jr. died in November 2018 while Lyons was watching him.
When Michael’s mother returned home, the boy was having trouble breathing and was bruised. He died three days later at a Kansas City hospital.
Officials ruled Michael died from head trauma after sustaining severe internal injuries.
Prosecutors alleged Lyons hurt the child to stop him from crying. Lyons testified he wouldn’t hurt a child and didn’t know what caused Michael’s injuries.
Judge Meryl Wilson set a hearing for Oct. 7 to determine how to proceed.
Dr. Jerry Lynn Gallentine, beloved son of Ivan and Thelma (Tapp) Gallentine, was born on November 3, 1940 at his family home in Clayton, Kansas, and peacefully passed away with his loving family by his side, September 24, 2019, at Whispering Pines in Norton, at the age of 78.
Jerry grew up on a farm northwest of Clayton and graduated from Clayton High School. He went on to receive his Bachelor of Science from Fort Hays State University and his Masters of Science, Masters of Education, and Doctorate of Philosophy from The University of Toledo, all by the age of 24.
On September 18, 1961, Jerry married the love of his life, Shirley Brooks in Hays, Kansas and to this union two wonderful children were born. Both Jerry and Shirley were baptized at Clayton United Methodist Church. Upon graduation Jerry taught college biology and microbiology in Fremont, Nebraska until 1968. He thought he could affect the greatest change in higher education by pursing administrative roles.
From 1968 until 1980, Jerry held many and varied administrative roles culminating in the presidency of Labette Community College in 1980 in Parsons, Kansas. Jerry was President of Peru State College in Peru, Nebraska from 1983-1990; Western New Mexico University in Silver City, New Mexico from 1990-1993; lastly at National American University in Rapid City, South Dakota from 1993-2016. After his retirement in 2016, Dr. Jerry Gallentine remained as Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors and Chairman of the Board of Governors until 2018. He served 23 years as President of NAU. During his time at NAU, he served on Board of Directors of Salem University and Schiller International University and Board of Trustees at Salem University. Jerry began his own consulting firm, Gallentine Higher Education Consulting to assist colleges and universities become accredited for many years. Jerry and Shirley moved to Norton, Kansas in 2018.
Aside for his work, which he thoroughly loved, Jerry enjoyed being outside exploring nature and was also an avid reader. His greatest love was his family, especially his wife, children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and great-great-grandchild.
Survivors include: his loving wife, Shirley, Norton, Ks.; one daughter, Kim Gallentine; one son, Jerry Jr., and wife, Lynette Gallentine; one brother, John, and wife, Ann Gallentine, Clayton, Ks.; seven grandchildren, Ashley, and husband, Doug Weston; Zachary, and wife, Izzi Farran; Stephen Gallentine; Brooke Gallentine; Taryn, and husband, Jack Mitchell; Gannon Radenberg; Timmy Milliman Jr.; six great-grandchildren, Caleb and Hannah Hurlbut; Shelby, and husband, Jake Sleeth; Mason, Blake, and Cameron Weston; one great-grandchild, Soren Sleeth; several other relatives and friends.
Jerry was preceded in death by his parents and sister, Delores Slipke.
FUNERAL SERVICE – Saturday, September 28, 2019 – 10:30 A.M.
PLACE – Enfield Funeral Home – Norton, Kansas
VISITATION – Friday, September 27, 2019 from 5:00 PM until 7:00 PM at Enfield Funeral Home in Norton.
INTERMENT – Clayton Cemetery – Clayton, Kansas
MEMORIALS – Clayton Cemetery, Norcatur Alliance, Whispering Pines, or Peru State College Foundation
