BARTON COUNTY —There were no injuries reported in a fire at a home in Barton County on Monday.
Photo courtesy Ellinwood Fire Department
Just before 5:30 a.m., the Barton County Sheriff’s Office and Ellinwood Fire Department were dispatched to a report of a structure fire near the city of Ellinwood. Sheriff’s officers and fire personnel responded to 211 E. First Street, according to a media release.
Upon arrival, officers discovered a house fully engulfed in flames. Initially, there was some confusion as to whether anyone was in the house, but it was later determined no one was home at the time of the fire. The residence appears to be a total loss.
Sheriff’s detectives and the Kansas State Fire Marshal’s Office were on the scene until late Monday morning. The investigation indicates the fire was accidental in nature, and arson is not suspected. Investigators were unable to determine the exact source of ignition.
The Barton County Sheriff’s Office, Ellinwood Fire Department, Ellinwood Police Department as well as Kansas State Fire Marshal’s Office all responded to the scene.
Healing After Loss of Suicide offers family members and friends of those who have lost a loved one to suicide a place to connect with others who are dealing with this highly specialized grief recovery process.
When: Wednesday, Jan. 23
Where: Hadley Center, 205 E. Seventh St., Room 257, Hays, KS 67601
There will be a brown bag at 5:45 p.m. and a meeting will follow at 7 p.m. There will be only one meeting this month.
The TMP-M Singers under the direction of Kathy Amrein, present will present “Dancing in the Street” at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 2 and noon Sunday Feb. 3
Reserved tickets are $20 and available from Kathy Amrein at 785-650-4371.
The Meal includes: coleslaw, pulled pork, smoked brisket, smokey baked beans, cheesy/ranch/bacon potatoes, dinner roll, dessert, coffee, tea and water
The judge found that ‘immediate and irreparable harm’ was likely to result if a receiver wasn’t appointed to take charge of Hillsboro Community Hospital. FILE PHOTO
A Marion County judge has appointed a receiver to run Hillsboro Community Hospital after its lender moved to foreclose on the 15-bed facility earlier this month.
The judge found that “immediate and irreparable harm is likely to result if a receiver is not appointed to operate and manage the hospital in order to ensure that it remains open and retains as much of its value as possible.”
The judge named Cohesive Healthcare Management + Consulting LLC of Shawnee, Oklahoma, to operate the hospital while the foreclosure action proceeds. The company specializes in providing administrative services to critical access hospitals, according to its website.
The appointment came after the city and the Bank of Hays jointly requested the appointment of a receiver. The bank alleges the hospital defaulted on a 2015 construction loan and owes it nearly $10 million.
The hospital had been run by EmpowerHMS, a North Kansas City company that has snatched up distressed rural hospitals in the Midwest and elsewhere with the promise of turning them around.
In recent weeks, Empower has experienced cash flow problems, causing it to fall behind on payments to its hospitals’ vendors and employees.
Earlier this month, Hillsboro, a town of about 3,000 residents 50 miles north of Wichita, threatened to cut off Hillsboro Community Hospital’s electricity over delinquent utility bills. EmpowerHMS came up with a payment at the last minute to avoid the shutoff.
In a statement Friday, an attorney for the Bank of Hays called the circumstances facing the hospital “factually and legally complex.”
“The city realizes access to health care by the citizens of Hillsboro and the surrounding area is important,” Tyler E. Heffon, the attorney, said in the statement. “The court’s approval of our joint request to appoint a receiver that can provide immediate assistance at the hospital was essential to maintaining community access to healthcare while the foreclosure lawsuit proceeds through the court system.”
The mayor of Hillsboro, Lou Thurston, said in a statement that the city wants “to undertake reasonable steps to assist in keeping the hospital open during the bank’s foreclosure lawsuit, and securing the appointment of an outside, disinterested receiver to operate and manage the hospital on an interim basis is a critical step in this regard.”
Officials of EmpowerHMS could not be reached for comment late Friday afternoon.
EmpowerHMS took over Hillsboro Community Hospital in 2017 when it acquired Rural Hospitals of America, which operated rural hospitals in Kansas and Missouri.
EmpowerHMS’s cash flow difficulties appear to stem in part from insurers’ increasing unwillingness to enter into contracts with its hospitals. Last year, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Oklahoma dropped EmpowerHMS’s hospitals from its network, citing what it called questionable lab billing practices at the hospitals.
In addition to Hillsboro Community Hospital, EmpowerHMS owns Oswego Community Hospital in Oswego and Horton Community Hospital in Horton. In Missouri, it owns I-70 Community Hospital in Sweet Springs. It also owns hospitals in Oklahoma, North Carolina, Arkansas and Tennessee.
Hillsboro’s city administrator, Larry Paine, said the court’s appointment of a receiver “assures the hospital will remain under the care of competent operators and open while the legal process continues.”
Dan Margolies is a senior reporter and editor in conjunction with the Kansas News Service. You can reach him on Twitter @DanMargolies.
WARRENSBURG, Mo. – Fort Hays State’s Isaiah Luellen and Reese Cokeley placed at the Roger Denker Open, hosted by the University of Central Missouri on Sunday (Jan. 20). They were the only two Tigers to participate in the tournament.
Luellen was the champion of the 165-pound bracket. After a first round bye, he cruised into the semifinals with a 19-4 technical fall over Stephen Duffy of Concordia University. A 9-5 decision over Martell Boone from the University of Missouri pushed him into the finals, where he defeated another University of Missouri wrestler, Peyton Mocco, by an 11-4 decision. Luellen moved to 19-3 on the year, all in tournament action. This is the third tournament win for Luellen this year, going along with the Dan Harris Open, UNK Holiday Inn Open.
After helping the team to a Kansas Cup title last Sunday, Cokeley finished in a tie for fifth in the 141-pound class. He recorded a fall in 4:01 in the first round over Caleb Osborn of Truman State University. He then edged Daide Agnew of Central Missouri by a score of 8-7 in the quarterfinals. Nick Nasenbeny from the University of Missouri got the best of Cokeley in the semifinals by a score of 7-0, then Cokeley had to bow out of the tournament by medical forfeit in the consolation semifinals. Both wrestlers making the fifth-place match were unable to wrestle, so Cokeley shared the placement with George Benoit of Grand View.
BARTON COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas felon on new charges after a high-speed chase.
Just before 8 p.m., detectives were conducting surveillance on Eisenhower Court on the west side of Great Bend, looking for a wanted person 29-year-old Karie L. McBride of Bushton, according to Sheriff Brian Bellendir. McBride had felony warrants through Ness County and Rush County.
McBride -photo Barton Co.
When McBride arrived at the residence and detectives approached the vehicle, he fled.
Other sheriff’s officers were in the area and gave pursuit. McBride fled west of Great Bend, eventually entering Rush and Pawnee counties. Sheriff’s deputies from both of those counties assisted in the pursuit. The chase lasted more than 30 miles and at times speeds exceeded 100 mph, according to Bellendir. The suspect pulled over and surrendered 2 miles west of the Barton/Rush county line.
Deputies arrested McBride was booked him into the Barton County jail on the various warrants including felon in possession of a firearm, possession of opiate with intent to distribute, possession of drug paraphernalia, as well as burglary. McBride was also charged with felony flee and elude. There were no injuries or damage to property during the chase, Bellendir said.
McBride has three previous convictions that include charges for burglary and drugs, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.
BUNKER HILL – Smoky Hills Public Television’s local program, Doctors on Call, will focus on physical therapy Tuesday, Jan. 22, with physical therapists Troy Herrman and Ashley Moeder from Herrman Physical Therapy in Hays.
Doctors on Call is a program that provides medical information on a variety of different topics. Medical professionals from throughout the state travel to Bunker Hill to provide information and answer questions from the viewing audience.
During the program, viewers can call 800.337.4788 with their questions for the doctors.
To submit questions electronically on a specific topic, viewers can send an email to [email protected]. Questions submitted through email must be received by noon on the day of the show.
The Annual Chili Supper and Bazaar at Holy Family Elementary will be from 4 to 7 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 27.
