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Partly sunny Thursday, chance for rain

Thursday A slight chance of rain and snow showers after 3pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 37. Wind chill values as low as 5. Southeast wind 7 to 17 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.

Thursday Night A slight chance of rain and snow showers before 7pm. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 29. Southeast wind 10 to 16 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.

Friday A slight chance of snow and sleet before 10am, then a slight chance of sleet between 10am and 11am, then a chance of drizzle after 11am. Cloudy, with a high near 42. South southeast wind 10 to 13 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.

Friday NightA chance of drizzle before 7pm, then a chance of rain, mainly after 1am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 28. South southeast wind 7 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50%.

SaturdaySnow, possibly mixed with sleet, becoming all snow after 11am. Widespread blowing snow, mainly between 10am and 5pm. High near 34. Very windy. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New precipitation amounts between a half and three quarters of an inch possible.

Saturday NightSnow before 7pm. Areas of blowing snow before 7pm. Low around 18. Very windy. Chance of precipitation is 90%.
SundaySunny, with a high near 33.

SURVEY: Manufacturers expect growth in ’19; need more employees

ABBB 

KANSAS – The certified public accounting firm of Adams, Brown, Beran & Ball, Chartered (ABBB) has jointly released the results from the 2019 ABBB/Leading Edge Alliance National Manufacturing Outlook Survey. The survey asked about manufacturing companies’ performance in 2018, managers’ expectations for 2019, and the strategies that high-performing manufacturers find most effective.

“This report helps us to prepare solutions that will lead to growth for our own manufacturing clients,” said Julie Wondra, CPA, Partner & Manufacturing Industry Leader. “With this great insight and data, we are able to position our clients for success in the coming year.”

Eight out of ten U.S. manufacturers expect to grow sales this year, buoyed by their optimism about the strength of regional, national and global economies, according to the 2019 National Manufacturing Survey Report prepared by Leading Edge Alliance (LEA), a global association of 220 accounting and consulting firms.

“Across the board, manufacturers are optimistic about the regional economy, sector growth, and increasing revenue expectations in 2019,” the report states. “Looking ahead, manufacturers expect raw materials, labor costs, lack of available talent and competition to be significant hurdles in 2019. The tariffs implemented by President Trump provide productivity issues; however, an increase in spending on Big Data and business intelligence are delivering innovative technology for minimizing productivity concerns.”

More than 350 manufacturing executives participated in the survey, which includes respondents who produce industrial/machining, transportation/automotive, construction, food and beverage, and other products.

2019 Survey Highlights

Growth: 81% of manufacturers expect their revenue to increase in 2019, and 61% expect their overall sector to expand in 2019.

Economy: Optimism for the regional, national and global economies has increased by more than 12 percentage points over the last two years.

Priorities: Manufacturers’ top three priorities are growing sales, improving profitability and addressing the workforce shortage.

Challenges: Most manufacturers (52%) cited labor/talent as their greatest barrier to growth, followed by competition (34%) and profitability (25%).

The survey identified three key growth strategies manufacturers will use to keep their companies on a growth track: Technology, mergers and acquisitions, and talent management.

Technology: Manufacturers plan to leverage technology as key to solving productivity concerns; 76% said that they will investigate/prioritize cybersecurity in 2019, and 43% said they will prioritize Big Data/ERP/IoT.

M&A: More manufacturers are considering a merger/sale or acquisition in 2019; 21% expect to acquire another business in 2019 and 16% are in the pre-planning stage of a merger or acquisition.

Talent: Faced with a growing labor shortage, manufacturers have turned to a range of tools to improve hiring and retention with 62% increasing compensation, 39% implementing retention strategies and 35% using internal training programs.

To view the full National Manufacturing Outlook and Insights report, visit www.abbb.com/resources.

Adams, Brown, Beran & Ball, Chartered provides a wide range of traditional and non-traditional CPA and consulting services to clients throughout Kansas, including agriculture organizations, construction companies, feed yards, financial institutions, governmental and not-for-profit organizations, manufacturers, medical practices, oil and gas companies, professional service firms, real estate companies and small businesses. Founded in 1945, today the firm maintains 13 office locations throughout the state. For more information about Adams, Brown, Beran & Ball, please visit www.abbb.com.

About LEA
Founded in 1999, LEA Global/The Leading Edge Alliance is the second-largest international association in the world. It is a high-quality alliance of 220 independently owned accounting and consulting firms focused on accounting, financial and business advisory services. LEA Global firms operate from 620 offices in 110 countries, giving clients of LEA Global firms access to the knowledge, skills and experience of 2,313 partners and 21,355 staff members. For more information, visit www.leaglobal.com.

Kansas man sentenced for wounding girl amid fireworks fray

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — A Lawrence man has been sentenced to 17 months in prison for shooting and wounding a 17-year-old girl as several people shot fireworks at him.

Gill photo from a previous arrest in Anderson Co.

21-year-old Rashan Gill apologized at Tuesday’s hearing, saying through tears that he “will never forget” what happened and that he could have killed the girl. In the early morning hours of July 5, 2018, he shot at a group of people who were firing Roman candle fireworks at him and his apartment.

One of the shots hit the girl who was in the group’s car. She suffered serious injuries but survived.

After a judge rejected Gill’s argument that he was justified in the shooting under Kansas’ stand-your-ground law, he pleaded no contest in January to attempted aggravated battery.

Step-mother accused of abuse after Kan. child hospitalized with head injury

SEDGWICK COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a case of alleged child abuse and have made an arrest.

Amanda Rogers-Moore -photo Sedgwick Co.

At  2:30 p.m. Tuesday, police responded to a call of a 2-year-old girl not breathing at a residence in the 1700 block of south Faulders in Wichita, according to officer Charley Davidson.

Upon arrival, officers contacted the girl, her stepmother  28-year-old Amanda Rogers-Moore, her 27-year-old father and several other children, ages 4, 7 and 8.

The 2-year-old girl was transported to an area hospital for medical treatment and remains hospitalized, according to Davidson.

The investigation revealed the 2-year-old girl vomiting and then not breathing awakened Rogers-Moore and her boyfriend. The boyfriend began life saving techniques on the girl. At the hospital, the girl was found to have critical head injuries, according to Davidson

Investigators arrested Rogers-Moore and booked her into jail on requested charges that include felony child abuse. The other three children have been placed in police protective custody.

 

Kan. man accused of throwing shopping cart through window

SALINE COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect for criminal damage to property after an alleged incident in Salina.

Bale -photo Saline Co.

Just after 11:30p.m. Tuesday, police responded to Salina Billiards, 1215 West Crawford.

Kiel Bale, allegedly broke a flower pot ashtray on the patio area of the establishment after he reportedly propositioned a bartender, according to police captain Paul Forrester.
Bale was asked to leave the establishment. As he exited, he allegedly threw a shopping cart through the window.

Bale was arrested a short time later in the parking lot on requested charges of criminal damage to property, unlawful assembly, and interference with a law enforcement officer

Damage to the window was estimated at $800 and damage to the flower pot ashtray was estimated at $10.

Lila May Sohm

Sohm

Lila May Sohm, 70, passed away Feb. 20, 2019 at Wesley Medical Center, Wichita. She was born July 8, 1948 at Ellsworth to Jess and Elizabeth (Merrill) Mize. She married Clifford Sohm, Nov. 21, 1970 at Holyrood. He survives.

Coming from Ellsworth in 1970, Lila was a Great Bend resident. She worked in administration at Larned State Hospital, having previously worked as a Pharmacy Aide at Walmart and was owner of Mistletoe Express. She was a member of the First Assembly of God Church and was a Girl Scout/Boy Scout leader. She enjoyed traveling and spending time with family and her grandkids.

Survivors include, her husband, Clifford of the home; one son, David Sohm of Great Bend; one daughter, Vicki James of Jetmore; and six grandchildren, Taylor James, Kaden James, Kaylee James, Tatum James, Walker Ruppe and Cody Griffith. She was preceded in death by her parents, and a sister, Zella Mize.

Visitation will be held from 1 to 9 p.m., Sunday, Feb. 24, 2019, at Bryant Funeral Home. Funeral service will be at 10:30 a.m. Monday, Feb. 25, 2019, at First Assembly of God Church in Great Bend, with Rev. Dwight Dozier presiding. Interment will be in the Great Bend Cemetery North. Memorials are suggested to the First Assembly of God Church or Kans for Kids, in care of Bryant Funeral Home.

Three Tigers Earn MIAA Dual Meet Honors

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Fort Hays State wrestling had three individuals earn MIAA dual meet honors, announced Wednesday (Feb. 20). Brandon Ball was the champion at 141 pounds, while Efe Osaghae(157 pounds) and Micquille Robinson (184 pounds) earned runner-up finishes.

Nebraska-Kearney was tabbed as the 2018-19 MIAA dual meet champions, with four individual’s earning titles and one runner-up finisher. Lindenwood has three wrestlers receive champions of their weight classes and two who finish runner-up. Central Oklahoma finished with two champions and four runner-ups, while Newman earned one champion and one runner-up.

The champions and runners-up were awarded by dual meet results and head coach voting determination. Below is the complete list of 2018-19 MIAA wrestling dual meet awards.

2018-19 MIAA Dual Meet Individual Weight Class Champions

Weight Place Wrestler School
125 Champion Carlos Jacquez Lindenwood
125 Runner-Up Josh Portillo Nebraska-Kearney
133 Champion Tanner Hitchcock Lindenwood
133 Runner-Up Tyler Lawley Newman
141 Champion Brandon Ball Fort Hays State
141 Runner-Up Nate Keim Central Oklahoma
149 Co-Champion Kameron Frame Newman
149 Co-Champion Gavin Londoff Lindenwood
149 Runner-Up Brik Filippo Central Oklahoma
157 Champion Matt Malcom Nebraska-Kearney
157 Runner-Up Efe Osaghae Fort Hays State
165 Champion Calvin Ochs Nebraska-Kearney
165 Runner-Up Kyle Jolas Lindenwood
174 Champion Zach Stodden Nebraska-Kearney
174 Runner-Up Devin Crawl Central Oklahoma
184 Champion Heath Gray Central Oklahoma
184 Runner-Up Micquille Robinson Fort Hays State
197 Champion Colton Looper Central Oklahoma
197 Runner-Up Jared McKindley Lindenwood
285 Champion Jarrod Hinrichs Nebraska-Kearney
285 Runner-Up Greg Wilson Central Oklahoma

FHSU Women’s Basketball Tops Central Region Rankings

INDIANAPOLIS – The fourth-ranked Fort Hays State women’s basketball team is listed atop the initial set of NCAA Division II Central Region rankings, released Wednesday afternoon (Feb. 20). This is the first of three sets of regional rankings that will be announced before the NCAA Championship bracket is released on March 10.

The 23-1 Tigers are one of two teams in the region with just one loss this season, joined by second-ranked Southwestern Oklahoma State (23-1). Every other team in the region has at least five losses so far this season.

Fort Hays State is 5-1 against teams listed in the top 10 in the region.

The Tigers are one of six MIAA programs mentioned in the initial release, with Central Missouri ranked third, Emporia State ranked sixth, Pittsburg State sitting in eighth, Lindenwood ranked ninth and Washburn slotted 10th.

The champions of the MIAA, GAC and NSIC tournaments will all earn an automatic bid into the NCAA Championship field, with the next five teams in the region also earning an at-large selection. The top team in the region earns the right to host the regional tournament, which will be held March 15-18.

With just four games remaining in the regular season, the Tigers will hit the road for the final time this weekend with a trip to Oklahoma. Fort Hays State will take on Central Oklahoma Thursday (Feb. 21) at 5:30 p.m. before facing off with Northeastern State at 1:30 p.m. Saturday (Feb. 23).

Rank School Overall DII Record In-Region Record
1 Fort Hays State 20-1 20-1
2 Southwestern Oklahoma State 23-1 23-1
3 Central Missouri 18-5 16-4
4 Minnesota State University Moorhead 21-5 19-5
5 Minnesota Duluth 17-6 17-6
6 Emporia State 19-5 17-5
7 Concordia-St. Paul 17-6 17-6
8 Pittsburg State 16-5 15-5
9 Lindenwood (Missouri) 17-5 17-5
10 Washburn 16-7 14-7

Suspect arrested for series of Kansas vehicle burglaries

COWLEY COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect in connection with multiple vehicle burglaries that occurred in January.

Brown -photo Cowley Co.

Officers investigating a rash of vehicle burglaries in Arkansas City identified a suspect as 23-year-old Trevor Scott Brown, according to a media release.

A search warrant was obtained and executed at his residence in the 400 block of North Second Street. Several stolen items were located inside the residence, as well as marijuana, methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia. Brown was located in the home with meth and paraphernalia in his pocket.

Through investigation, police were able to recover several stolen items and return them to owners.

Officers arrested Brown on suspicion of four felony counts of burglary of a motor vehicle, as well as one felony count each of possession of methamphetamine and no drug tax stamp.

He also was arrested on suspicion of seven misdemeanor counts of possession of stolen property, plus one misdemeanor count each of criminal trespass, possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of marijuana.

Brown has made a first court appearance, according to Undersheriff Christina McDonald.  He is being held in the Cowley County Jail in Winfield in lieu of $22,250 bond through Cowley County District Court in Arkansas City.

Kansas woman dies after SUV slides on ice into a ravine

POTTAWATOMIE COUNTY—One person died in an accident just before 7a.m. Wednesday in Pottawatomie County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 1997 Chevy Blazer driven by Ann Marie Lochner, 67, Manhattan, was southbound on Elbo Ridge Drive.

Due to snow and ice, the vehicle left the road at the intersection of Elbo Ridge View landed on its top in a ravine.

Lochner was pronounced dead at the scene and transported to Frontier Forensics. She was properly restrained at the time of the accident, according to the KHP.

Hays High, TMP, area basketball sub-state brackets released

The Hays High boys will be the 12 seed in the west in sub-state #4. The girls will be the 7th seed in the west in sub-state #2. You can find the full 5A brackets here. The games will be broadcast on 96.9 KFIX and on the KFIX App or on TuneIn.

TMP will be in the Hoisington 3A sub-state. You can listen to the games on 99.5 KHAZ and on the KHAZ App or on TuneIn.

 

The 2A sub-state brackets have been released for girls and boys basketball. Here are the brackets for the Wichita County-Leoti sub-state which will feature five area teams. The semi-finals and finals will be broadcast on KKQY 101.9 The Bull and on the KKQY App or on TuneIn.

Ness City will be playing in the Meade sub-state:

Anesthesia Group: Medical information for KC-area patients might have been compromised

A medical group that provides anesthesia services to Kansas City metro hospitals has notified 3,472 patients that some of their personal information may have been compromised after surgery schedules were stolen from an employee’s car.

A nurse anesthetist left a backpack containing surgery schedules in his vehicle.
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Anesthesia Associates of Kansas City posted a notice on its website that the surgery schedules may have included some patients’ names, dates of birth, types and dates of surgery, and the name of the patients’ surgeons.

Patient addresses, Social Security numbers, insurance and financial information were not included on the schedules.

“We had an employee that was doing something he wasn’t supposed to be doing,” said Mark Meisel, Anesthesia Associates’ CEO.

Meisel said the employee, a nurse anesthetist, put his backpack containing surgery schedules in a visible part of his car – a violation of the medical practice’s data security protocols.

“Unfortunately, you can tell people what the rules are, but this person didn’t follow the rules,” Meisel said.

Meisel declined to say whether the employee had been fired or disciplined.

The theft, which occurred in December, did not affect all of Anesthesia Associates’ patients. But Meisel said that out of “an abundance of caution,” it notified patients who underwent surgery between April 4, 2018, and Dec. 4, 2018.

The theft was reported to police but the backpack and its contents have not been recovered.

Anesthesia Associates, which is based in Overland Park, Kansas, provides anesthesiology services to Children’s Mercy Hospital as well as hospitals owned by HCA Midwest Health, including Belton Regional Medical Center, Lee’s Summit Medical Center, Menorah Medical Center, Overland Park Regional Medical Center and Research Medical Center.

With about 240 anesthesiologists, certified registered nurse anesthetists, pain management specialists and other clinicians, it’s the largest anesthesiology practice in the Kansas City metropolitan area.

The data breach is one of several that have occurred in the last few months at local and regional health care practices. Last month, Sunflower Health Plan, one of the managed care organizations that insures Kansas Medicaid patients, reported a data breach affecting 1,625 plan members after it sent ID cards and welcome packs to the wrong recipients.

Also last month, Valley Hope Association, which operates drug and alcohol rehab clinics in Kansas, Missouri and five other states, said that an unauthorized individual accessed the email account of an employee and may have viewed patients’ health information. That breach affected 70,799 individuals.

Dan Margolies is a senior reporter in conjunction with the Kansas News Service. You can reach him on Twitter @DanMargolies.

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