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Author: Becky Kiser

Kansas Chamber Jumps into GOP Primaries

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TOPEKA (AP) — The Kansas Chamber of Commerce’s political action committee is targeting eight incumbent state senators in Republican primaries this year, and one of the group’s officials said Tuesday that the PAC raised more than $163,000 last year to help finance its efforts.

The Chamber PAC’s targets include Senate President Steve Morris, of Hugoton. Republican conservatives have been upset with Morris and other senators over a host of issues, including taxes. Jeff Glendening, the chamber’s vice president for political affairs, said the group hopes to replace the incumbents with “free market” challengers.

The chamber’s efforts are significant because the Senate represents the last major stronghold in state government for moderate Republicans. Gov. Sam Brownback has said he’ll stay out of primaries. His fellow conservatives believe ousting several incumbent senators will clear the last significant obstacles to anti-tax, small-government policies.

Glendening said the chamber is concerned about a lack of growth in the number of private sector jobs in Kansas and believes policies backed by Senate leaders are a major factor. All eight incumbents being targeted voted in 2010 to increase the state’s sales tax to help balance the budget.

Morris said he and other GOP senators have tried to take a balanced approach to dealing with the state’s past budget problems. He said the targeted senators have supported pro-business policies, such as phasing out the state’s corporate franchise tax, essentially a fee for the privilege of doing business in Kansas.

Glendening said the other incumbent GOP senators whose challengers received maximum contributions from the Chamber PAC are Pete Brungardt, of Salina; Terrie Huntington, of Fairway; Carolyn McGinn, of Sedgwick; Tim Owens, of Overland Park; Vicki Schmidt, of Topeka; Jean Schodorf, of Wichita, and John Vratil of Leawood.

Learjet Announces Plan to Expand Kansas Operations

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WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback and the head of Bombardier Business Air say an expansion of the company’s Learjet site in Wichita will create 450 new jobs over the next seven to 10 years.

Bombardier President Steve Ridolfi and Brownback announced plans Tuesday for expansion of the company’s Flight Test Center, new facilities for paint and production, and a new delivery center. The expansion also will include establishment of a Bombardier Center of Excellence of Engineering and Information Technology.

The state is providing $16 million in financial support to go along with $600 million the company is spending to develop the Learjet 85 midsize jet and expand Learjet’s Wichita facility.

Last week The Boeing Co. announced it was closing its Wichita facilities at the end of 2013.

HACC: Taco Shop Menu Telemarketing Advertisements Not Valid

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The Hays Area Chamber of Commerce is warning its members and others in the business community that a  telemarketing campaign on behalf of the Taco Shop is not valid.

HACC Executive Director Tammy Wellbrock cautions the public to be aware of questionable actions on behalf of a business known as “City Press.”

Wellbrock says Taco Shop Manager Bob Keener contacted her Tuesday about a representative  calling local businesses, stating he “was contracted by Taco Shop.” The man claims he is selling advertisements for Taco Shop’s new menu.

Wellbrock says Taco Shop has not authorized this contact, nor is the Taco Shop working with any third-party company to sell menu advertisements.

For more information, call the chamber at (785) 628-8201 or contact Keener at (785) 625-7114 or [email protected].

U.S.News & World Ranks FHSU in Top Tier for Quality of Online Education

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U.S.News & World Report, the news magazine that produces one of the most popular annual rankings of universities, released today its first-ever national rankings for online education. Fort Hays State University was among the leaders in most of the categories.

The news magazine evaluated online higher education in six categories: bachelor’s programs generally, and master’s programs in business, education, engineering, nursing and computer information technology. Bachelor’s programs were evaluated according to three criteria: 1. teaching practices and student engagement; 2. student services and technology; and 3. faculty credentials and training. The five master’s categories were evaluated by similar criteria plus a fourth criterion, admissions selectivity.

Dr. Edward H. Hammond, FHSU president, talked about the results at a news conference this afternoon. “Out of the many hundreds of universities in the nation that offer online education, we were one of only 40 that was placed on an honor roll, which is the highest designation in the rankings,” Dr. Hammond said.

He listed the categories and criteria in which FHSU was ranked:
Bachelor’s Programs
· Teaching Practices & Student Engagement — sixth in the nation
· Student Services & Technology — 10th in the nation
· Faculty Credentials & Training — 35th in the nation
Master’s Programs
· Business (MBA), Student Services & Technology — fifth in the nation
· Business (MBA), Faculty Credentials & Training — 30th in the nation
· Business (MBA), Teaching Practices & Student Engagement — 106th in nation
· Business (MBA), Admissions Selectivity — 29th in the nation
· Education, Student Services & Technology — 14th in the nation
· Education, Faculty Credentials & Training — 15th in the nation
· Education, Teaching Practices & Student Engagement — 22nd in the nation
· Nursing, Student Services & Technology — sixth in the nation
· Nursing, Faculty Credentials & Training — 19th in the nation
· Nursing, Teaching Practices & Student Engagement — 15th in the nation

FHSU was given honor roll status in the Graduate Education category, which means it placed in the top third of at least three of the four evaluation criteria. It was among 14 universities that received honor roll status in that category. Those 14 universities were listed alphabetically, not in a numeric ranking order.

“These rankings confirm what we already knew, that FHSU has taken the right path in providing affordable and high quality education online,” President Hammond said. “Our Virtual College enrollment could not have grown to 4,504 in the fall 2011 semester if the courses were not high quality, because people will not compromise on quality when it comes to something as important as their college education.”

The confirmation of quality tells only half the story, however. The president pointed out that about a dozen FHSU online programs have been recognized by GetEducated.com in recent months as among the most affordable of their type in the nation. For example, GetEducated.com ranked each of two programs — Master of Liberal Studies with a concentration in Justice Studies, and Bachelor of Science in Information Networking & Telecommunications/Computer Networking — as No. 1 in the nation for affordability. Four other FHSU online programs were ranked second most affordable, and a fifth program was ranked third most affordable.

“FHSU offers online education programs that are among both the best in the country and the most affordable in the country according to independent evaluators,” President Hammond said. “There is simply no better choice in the nation than our Virtual College for anyone who is looking for an online degree.”

Dr. Larry Gould, who as provost heads up the academic division of FHSU, talked about the importance of today’s U.S.News & World Report announcement. “One key to growing any distance education program is capturing the attention of potential online learners by enhancing your brand and disrupting the competition,” he said. “Institutions that have been offering online programming for many years are now looking for ways to stand out in an increasingly crowded marketplace. There is no doubt that this new set of rankings will go a long way in helping the Virtual College differentiate its brand and stand out as a leader among distance education providers. Equally important for me, this announcement is an affirmation of the excellence, care and commitment our faculty and staff place in the online delivery of affordable and unique next-generation learning experiences.”

Dennis King, director of the Virtual College, noted that this latest recognition came on the heels being named Military Friendly in November. “Also, while we are celebrating these results, we are preparing to launch another major initiative to improve the quality of our online offerings,” he said. An announcement of the new initiative is scheduled for April.

President Hammond also commended the faculty, staff and administrators who work hard to create the excellent online environment for learning. “FHSU’s entrepreneurial, forward-thinking culture is being recognized around the world,” he said. “This recognition should serve as proof to Fort Hays State’s graduates, and its current and future students, that they made the right choice for their education.”

Hays Regional Airport Boardings Surpass 10,000 in 2011

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It looks like the there were more than enough boardings in 2011 at the Hays Regional Airport to secure federal funds for repair of the main runway later this year.

A minimum of 10-thousand passenger boardings was needed.  City Commission member Ron Mellick  told Senator Jerry Moran (R-KS)  at a December 31 town hall meeting the number will exceed 10-thousand.

The Federal Aviation Administration requires airports to have at least 10,000 departing and arriving passengers each year to secure federal subsidies for improvements.

An official audited number will be released later this month.

 

85% of Kansans Recycle

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The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) Bureau of Waste Management today released results of their 2011 Community Recycling Survey.

The study shows that 85 percent of Kansans recycle household waste through curbside and/or drop-off recycling programs.

Bill Bider, Director of the Bureau of Waste Management, compared the results to the last survey in 2005.  The largest improvement in recycling was in plastics which increased from 33 percent participation to 70 percent. The survey also indicated that 35 percent more households were recycling cardboard in 2011 than in 2005, and 33 percent more were recycling magazines.

Additional findings from the survey include:

o 81 percent of households recycle aluminum cans

o 70 percent of households recycle plastics

o 56 percent of households recycle newspapers

o 45 percent of households recycle cardboard

o 44 percent of households recycle other paper

o 96 percent of respondents consider recycling to be important

More than 93 percent of respondents expressed their support for the proper disposal of household hazardous wastes, environmentally sound operations of landfills, and a reduction in illegal dumping.

The 2011 Community Recycling Survey is a comprehensive statewide study that measures and tracks the growth of recycling in Kansas.

Christmas Tree Disposal Thursday

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The City of Hays will be making ONE TRIP through alleys to pick-up Christmas trees beginning, Thursday, January 12th. This will be a special pick-up, and the trees will NOT be collected with regular trash or recycling. City crews are anticipated to be completed with the collection in two days.

Citizens are encouraged to bring their Christmas trees to the free disposal site just north of the Water Plant on Vine Street. Place the trees inside the orange snow fence area. Please remove all plastic, ornaments or lights before leaving the tree. The disposal site will be open through Tuesday, January 10, 2012.

Midwest Energy will provide personnel and a wood chipper to chip the trees to make mulch. The mulch will be placed at the Parks Department on the 183 By-pass and is available for pick-up free of charge.

If you have questions, please call the Solid Waste Division at 628-7357.

Letter to the Post: Managed Care for Kansas Medicaid Programs Not a Good Change

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BY JERRY MICHAUD

January 9, 2012

At this time of year, it is normal to look at what we are doing in our lives and make changes to improve our situation.  New Years’ resolutions, at their core, are good and intentions to improve our health, our relationships, etc. are usually a step in the right direction.  Change, however, is not always as good as it is intended to be.  I am compelled to comment on one: the proposed implementation of Managed Care for Kansas Medicaid programs.   I am supportive finding the most efficient ways of doing things; however, I believe including our locally managed long term care services into the State’s Managed Care Model will have a negative impact on the lives of people with developmental disabilities (DD).

The State’s proposal to move DSNWK’s services for persons with disabilities into an experimental managed care model called KanCare is planned to take effect in January 2013, but it will begin long before that, and that time is now.  National insurance companies are currently in Kansas today working with the Administration to bid for these KanCare contracts. Under KanCare, Kansas will shift responsibilities and resources from state and community oversight into to private health insurance companies.   Roughly one third of the State’s entire budget, under this plan, will be handed over to private health insurance companies to manage and oversee. That includes Community DD Services such as those offered by DSNWK.  I am concerned by this. The core purpose of this new approach is to save money, but will it?

Not only do these national companies have little or no experience in serving long term needs of persons with DD, they also acknowledge there is little to no anticipated savings to be found by including community DD services under the Managed Care model.  Why? Because Kansas has been ahead of this issue for many years, and our current State/Local management model is effective.

In the mid-’90s, Kansas passed the Developmental Disability Reform Act (DDRA) which incorporated many managed care principles into the community DD service system (capitated rates, quality measurement, service access, eligibility determination and on and on).  Under that system, local – mostly not-for-profit organizations like Developmental Services of Northwest Kansas partnered with Kansas to administer long term services for persons with disabilities.  Under the current Kansas model, this community system has effectively managed program costs for persons with DD and their services.

Here is an interesting perspective:
Nationally, the average cost per person spending (for persons in community DD services) went up nearly 18% (for the period 1993 to 2009).   In sharp contrast, the average cost per person spending (for persons in Kansas in community DD services) went down nearly 18% since 1993.  DSNWK and its State and Local partners have worked hard to be good stewards of the resources we have and we oppose and will continue to oppose handing off effective State/Local partnerships into the management of Insurance companies with no experience in our field.

DSNWK does support and will continue to support the use of those contractors to improve the outcomes for all persons who receive Medicaid medical services. We believe this lies within their area of expertise, and we will work with the Administration to enable that to happen. Shifting oversight of long term services for persons with DD into an experimental program like KanCare in our opinion will place our most vulnerable population at risk, and is therefore not the right thing to do.   The right thing to do, for Kansans, would be to urge the Administration to reconsider the direction it is planning, regarding the inclusion of DD long term care services under KanCare, and avoid a misstep which could have adverse consequences for many years to come.

Sincerely,

Jerry Michaud, President

Developmental Services of Northwest Kansas

Hays Office

Annual Christmas Bird Count Covers 177 Square Miles

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The 40-year tradition of counting birds during the Christmas season continues in Ellis County.  The annual activity is part a nationwide effort by the Audubon Society in about 25-hundred locales.

December 17th,  a local group of skilled bird watchers and amateurs scouted 177 square miles of ground, about a 7-mile radius of Hays, collecting  data on the number and types of birds species  in the area.

Organizer Greg Farley is a Biology professor at Fort Hays State University.  Last year’s count saw 5, 874 individual birds of 55 different species, including the red-bellied woodpecker.

The first North America Christmas Bird Count dates back to 1900 and is the longest-running Citizen Science survey in the world.

Farley says it takes place during this time of year when potential windy, wintery weather makes it easier to spot birds often huddled together on the snow.

See more birds tonight on Street Beat Eagle Community TV Channel 14.

FHSU Alumna to Serve as Kansas Director of Health Care Finance

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An alumna of Fort Hays State University, Kari Bruffett, has been selected as the state’s Director of Health Care Finance.

Kansas Department of Health and Environment Secretary, Dr. Robert Moser, says “Kari is an experienced leader in the health care industry and has dedicated much of her time to Kansas’ Medicaid reforms this year as we’ve worked with key leaders and stakeholders in developing KanCare.”

Bruffett leads a division with close to 180 staff responsible for Kansas’ Medicaid program and the State Employee Health Plan.

She  served for the past 12 months as KDHE’s Assistant Secretary for Policy and External Affairs and leaves that position to head the DHCF—for which she has served as Interim Director since Nov. 23 after then-director Andy Allison stepped down to head Arkansas’ Medicaid program.

Bruffett has a background in health policy and government affairs, including eight years working at the University of Kansas Hospital and four years on Capitol Hill.

Wichita TV News Anchor Setty Dies

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Longtime Wichita TV news anchor Kim Setty died Wednesday night at her home after battling breast cancer.

The 47-year-old Setty worked at KWCH-TV for 24 years.  In 2005, Setty told viewers she’d been diagnosed with breast cancer. She was forced to vacate her job this past summer.

She is married with two children.  Funeral services are pending.

Filings Underway for April 3 Elections in Kansas

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Ellis resident John Walz has filed for election to the Ellis City Council, along with incumbent Lyle E. Johnston.   Johnston filled a vacancy on the council in 2010 and is seeking a second term.

There are three positions open and will be decided in the April 3 election.  Candidates have until noon January 24 to file. 

New voter photo identification requirements are in effect.   Voter registration continues through March 13.

 

Boeing To Close Wichita Facility by 2013

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Boeing announced Wednesday morning it plans to shut down its Wichita facility.  Boeing told employees during a mandatory staff meeting.

Boeing Wichita employs 2,100 people and does work on only military contracts.

Last year, Boeing won the Air Force tanker contract worth $35 billion to build 179 refueling tankers.  The plan was to build the planes in Washington state and use Wichita workers for modification work.  That plan has now changed.

Boeing announced late last year that it was studying the future of its Wichita facility.

 

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