HARVEY COUNTY —A member of the Newton Police department was injured in an accident just after 7:30a.m. Wednesday in Harvey County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2013 Ford F150 driven by Aaron Patrick Osner, 28, Newton, was northbound Interstate 135 from Broadway Avenue and changed lanes into the left lane.

The Ford struck a 2014 Nissan Frontier that was legally parked partly in the left lane and shoulder providing traffic control for accidents being worked in the area.

The driver of the Nissan Bruce K. Powers, 60, was providing traffic control for the Newton Police Department while Interstate 135 was closed southbound and partially closed northbound due to several accidents.

Powers was transported to Wesley Medical Center for treatment of a minor injury and released according to Newton Police Chief Eric Murphy.

HORTON, Kan. (AP) — A Kansas hospital run by an embattled health management company has shut down operations after struggling for months without enough funds to pay its employees or buy medication and food for patients.

The city of Horton’s only medical provider, Horton Community Hospital, closed on Tuesday, the Topeka Capital-Journal reported. Residents will now have to travel 12 miles (19 kilometers) to Hiawatha for medical care.

The hospital’s chief of staff, Dr. Richard Brown, said the closure didn’t come as a surprise. Hospital staff, who have faced weekslong gaps in pay, had been working with the Kansas Attorney General’s Office and Kansas Department of Health and Environment to find a way to keep the facility open, Brown said.

Staff described trash piling up and negotiating with city officials to keep the lights on as the hospital struggled to pay overdue bills.

John Calhoon, Horton’s city administrator and chief of police, said the hospital recently made a partial payment on a utility bill that was nearly two months overdue. Calhoon expects a March invoice to go unpaid.

“It’s not anything that any of us wanted to happen, but we just have to move forward from here,” he said.

The hospital in the town of about 1,700 people was transferred to iHealthcare after being managed by EmpowerHMS, which is associated with other Kansas hospitals that have closed after being unable to pay their bills. The former EmpowerHMS-owned Oswego Community Hospital shuttered in February, and an affiliated hospital in rural Missouri was cut off from Medicare this month.

C.J. Grover, a spokesman for the Kansas Attorney General’s Office, said the agency is investigating Horton Community Hospital, but declined to comment further.

Kansas Governor Laura Kelly issued a response to the news.

“I’m concerned for the community of Horton as they face the serious loss of their local hospital,” Kelly said. “This is becoming a far too frequent occurrence in our state. Local hospitals are key to the health of Kansas families and are often one of the largest employers in a small town. Elected leaders must work together to do more to support our local hospitals.”

Three rural hospitals have closed in the last three months. Mercy Hospital in Fort Scott closed on December 31st. Oswego Community Hospital closed in February. And Horton Community Hospital closed its doors Tuesday.

“I’ve directed our agencies to coordinate support for hospital staff during this challenging time,” Kelly said. “A closure of a hospital has ripple effects through the community and region. Our KANSASWORKS team will be in Horton Thursday to assist hospital staff with filing for unemployment benefits, as well as job applications and re-employment services.”

The Governor’s Office, Kansas Department of Commerce and Kansas Department of Labor are working to provide support to employees of the hospital, ensure unemployment benefits applications are streamlined, and re-employment opportunities are available.

In response to Tuesday’s closure, KANSASWORKS will be hosting Rapid Response Informational Meetings Thursday in Horton in conjunction with the Community Outreach Event at the Horton Public Library.

Efforts to assist affected hospital employees will include Rapid Response Informational Meetings at 1 p.m., 2 p.m. and 3 p.m. Thursday at the Horton Public Library, 809 1st Ave E. No registration is required. Information will be shared about KANSASWORKS, Workforce Center employment and training services and how to file unemployment insurance benefits.

Also, the KANSASWORKS Mobile Workforce Center will be at the Horton Public Library from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday to provide additional re-employment services. Workforce Center staff will be available to help with registering on KANSASWORKS.com, creating a resumé, job search assistance and filling out job applications.

The Rapid Response team was also sent to Oswego following the closure of its hospital last month.

Any questions about KANSASWORKS should be directed to the Department of Commerce:
Emily Fitzgerald
(785) 296-1778
[email protected]

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HORTON, Kan. (AP) — A Kansas hospital run by an embattled health management company has shut down operations after struggling for months without enough funds to pay its employees or buy medication and food for patients.

The city of Horton’s only medical provider, Horton Community Hospital, closed on Tuesday. Residents will now have to travel 12 miles to Hiawatha for medical care.

The hospital’s chief of staff, Dr. Richard Brown, says the closure didn’t come as a surprise. Hospital staff said they’ve had to negotiate with city officials to keep the lights on at the hospital, which faced mounting, overdue bills.

The hospital was transferred to iHealthcare after being managed by EmpowerHMS, which is associated with other Kansas hospitals that have struggled to pay bills.

By Cole Reif

Ellinwood resident Alicia Straub is set

to become the third representative for the 113^th District of the Kansas House of Representatives in a span of four years. Straub, the current Barton County Commissioner, was voted in Tuesday night at the Pratt Community Center during a special convention. Straub will take over for Greg Lewis, who resigned from office February 22 to fight a cancerous brain tum

For Barton County, that will soon leave them a commissioner short following the anticipated resignation from Straub. Barton County Clerk Donna Zimmerman says Straub is expected to attend the next Commission meeting.

Republican precinct committee members of the 113^th District met following the resignation of Lewis. Straub was one of three candidates vying to replace Lewis, and the 40-year old received 51 of the 91 votes cast. Governor Laura Kelly must officially appoint Straub to the seat.

As for Straub’s replacement on the Barton County Commission, Zimmerman noted that whoever is selected to fill Straub’s seat will serve two years of her four-year term until the 2020 election.

According to the Barton County handbook, when a Commissioner vacancy occurs before May 1 of the first even-numbered year following the beginning of a term, the position will be filled by appointment until the next election. The Barton County Republican Committee will meet shortly after Straub’s anticipated resignation next week to appoint her replacement.

Straub’s 4^th District in Barton County represents a small portion of southern Great Bend, Ellinwood, Dundee, Pawnee Rock, and the townships of Clarence, Liberty, South Bend, Comanche, Lakin, and Pawnee Rock.

As the 113^th District Representative, Straub will represent Stafford and Pratt counties, and parts of Barton, Pawnee, and Rice counties.

Lewis took over the 113^th District after being appointed to replace J. Basil Dannebohm in 2015. Dannebohm was fighting Parkinson’s disease when he chose to resign.

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas lawmakers have condemned New York’s new law protecting abortion rights in a statement that will be sent to every New York legislator and its governor.

The Kansas House on Wednesday approved a resolutiondeclaring that New York’s law “violates the life and well-being of a woman and her unborn child.”

The 85-38 vote came after some Democrats questioned whether the GOP-controlled Legislature was wasting its time. The Kansas Senate approved the resolution last month.

The New York law was designed to codify protections for a woman’s right to obtain an abortion granted by federal courts. Abortion opponents across the nation have argued that it allows abortions up to the moment of birth.

Democratic New York state Sen. Liz Krueger of Manhattan says opponents are “spreading misinformation and falsehoods.”

SALINE COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating four suspects after  items missing from two retailers in Salina were found in their possession, according to Salina Police Captain Paul Forrester.

Just after 4p.m. Wednesday, police were called to Walmart, 2900 S. Ninth,  in Salina for a report of shoplifters.

A man and a woman were taken into custody in the parking lot and another man and woman were taken into custody in the store, Forrester said.

It is believed that all or some of the group took items from Walmart and Target in Salina. Items from Walmart found in their possession included

• Butane torch valued at $27
• Container with eight pieces of chicken from the deli valued at $7
• Hair clippers valued at $33
• Miscellaneous sewing items valued at $30
• A phone stand valued at $6

Forrester said items believed taken from Target included

• A smartwatch valued at $50
• Sony headphones valued at $40

Anti-theft devices were removed from the Target items, Forrester said. Surveillance video from throughout Target is being reviewed to determine whether any additional items were taken, he added.

The group also was found to be in possession of magnets that allegedly interfere with anti-theft devices, Forrester said.

Jose Reyes, 27, of Hutchinson, was arrested on suspicion of felony theft, conspiracy to commit theft, and damage to property.

William McGlynn, 34, of McPherson, was arrested on suspicion of felony theft, conspiracy to commit theft, and unlawful possession of a tool to remove theft protection devices.

Mia Unruh, 23, of Hutchinson, was arrested on suspicion of felony theft, conspiracy to commit theft, and unlawful possession of a tool to remove theft protection devices.

Alyssa Armendariz, 25, of Hutchinson, was arrested on suspicion of felony theft, conspiracy to commit theft, and unlawful possession of a tool to remove theft protection devices.

SEDGWICK COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a series of armed robberies at Dollar General Stores and have released a security camera image of a suspect. 

Just before 4p.m. on Monday, police responded to an armed robbery call at the Dollar General in the 2400 block of west Pawnee in Wichita, according to officer Charley Davidson.

A 22-year-old male employee told police an unknown suspect entered the business demanding money and indicating he had a gun. The suspect took the cash and then fled the scene on foot.

There were no injuries in this case, according to Davidson. The suspect is described as an unknown white male in his 20’s, 5-foot-6, 140 pounds, brown hair in a bun, wearing a black jacket and gray pants with black on the knees.

If you recognize this individual or have any additional information please call Crime Stoppers at 316-267-2111 or WPD Detectives at 316-268-4407.