TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Uber will pay Kansas more than $730,000 after hackers obtained names and driver’s license information of some Uber drivers.
Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt filed a lawsuit against the ride-hailing company. A consent judgment was entered Thursday in Shawnee County District Court.
In 2016, hackers obtained the names and driver’s license information from about 600,000 of its drivers, but didn’t immediately reveal the breach. Schmidt argued the lack of transparency violated the Kansas Consumer Protection Act. He also said Uber didn’t maintain reasonable security measures.
Uber’s attorney, Tony West, said the company has reached agreements with the attorney generals of all 50 states and the District of Columbia. According to the consent judgment, Uber will pay a total of $148 million.
SEDGWICK COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities continue to investigating an alleged attempted abduction and are asking the public for help with additional information.
Security camera images courtesy Wichita Police
Just after 2:30 p.m. Thursday, police responded to a residence in the 1500 block of north Chautauqua in Wichita in reference to a possible attempted abduction, according to officer Charley Davidson.
A 13-year-old girl told police that while she was walking home from school a newer black 4-door sedan (Chevy Impala or Audi A6) pulled up beside her at the intersection of 14th and Erie. An unknown suspect threatened her if she did not get into the car. The girl then ran home and called police.
The suspect is described as a light skinned black male, in his 50s, thin build, thin framed glasses, wearing a green flat billed baseball cap, according to Davidson.
Anyone with additional information on this case is encouraged to call Wichita Police or Crime Stoppers at 267-2111
Listen to Mike Cooper interviewing Carmen Winter, Exercise Physiologist; and Kelly Flaska, Director of Fitness and Auquatics; from The Center for Health Improvement at HaysMed by clicking the link above and then clicking the play button
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — Ten Kansas nurses or nurse aides face charges stemming from a state investigation into allegations of Medicaid fraud, the theft of narcotic medications and the mistreatment of vulnerable adults.
Online records show that at least eight of those charged are still licensed to work in Kansas. Three health care workers from the Kansas City area were working at nursing homes when authorities say they committed the crimes, according to witness lists provided by the attorney general’s office.
Carol Moreland, executive director of the Kansas State Board of Nursing, declined to discuss the cases.
Lenexa resident Catherine Santaniello is charged with two felony counts of mistreatment of a dependent adult, including allegations of “knowing infliction of physical injury, unreasonable confinement or unreasonable punishment.” She also faces two misdemeanor charges for battery and making a false claim to Medicaid.
The charges were filed against Santaniello this week, but the incidents allegedly occurred in January 2017.
Santaniello didn’t respond to requests for comment. She’ll appear in court Oct. 24.
Erin Whitlow, the former nursing director at Parkway Care and Rehabilitation in Edwardsville, is charged with felony possession of morphine with the intent to distribute. The Leavenworth woman is also charged with felony mistreatment of two dependent adults by depriving them of “treatment, goods or services that were necessary to maintain” their physical or mental health.
The alleged incidents occurred in July and August 2017.
Whitlow’s attorney, Brian Costello, said she’s sought drug abuse treatment and is “willing to accept what she did.”
“We’ve been cooperating with the attorney general and she’s taking full responsibility for it,” Costello said.
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KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — Ten Kansas nurses and nurse aides have been charged with Medicaid fraud, stealing narcotic medications and mistreating vulnerable adults.
The charges came after an enforcement sweep by the state’s attorney general. Online records show that eight of those charged are still licensed to work in Kansas.
State Board of Nursing Executive Director Carol Moreland declined to comment on pending litigation and questions about the licenses.
Witness lists show that three Kansas City area health care workers were working at nursing homes during the alleged crimes.
Lenexa resident Catherine Santaniello is charged with two felony counts of mistreatment of a dependent adult. She also faces two misdemeanor charges for battery and making a false claim to Medicaid.
Santaniello didn’t respond to requests for comment. She’ll appear in court Oct. 24.
Listen as the ‘Voice of the Chiefs’ Mitch Holthus recaps last week’s home win over San Francisco and previews Monday Night’s showdown in Denver against the Broncos.
The Holthus Hotline airs Saturday mornings on your home for Chiefs football, KFIX (96.9-FM), at 8 a.m. during the Chiefs season.
This is the first commissioned bronze statue of him ever created. It is a gift to Washburn University from John Pinegar, BA ’82, and the Doug and Kathleen, BA ’84, Smith family.
Former U.S. senators Bob and Elizabeth Dole attended the unveiling with Jerry Farley, president, Washburn University, and other dignitaries including former senator Nancy Kassebaum.
Washburn conferred on Dole an honorary doctorate of laws in 1969 and an honorary doctorate of civil law in 1985. He received the Washburn Alumni Association Distinguished Service Award in 1966. The Washburn University School of Law Alumni Association honored him with the Distinguished Service Award in 1981 and the Lifetime Achievement Award in 2007.
Dole graduated from Washburn University in 1952 earning both a bachelor of arts and a juris doctorate in the same year because of credits he earned before enlisting in the U.S. Army during World War II.
He has developed a worldwide reputation for public service, holding elected positions in the Kansas House of Representatives, as Russell County (Kan.) attorney and as a U.S. congressman before spending nearly 30 years as a U.S. senator. He was chair of the Republican National Committee, Senate Minority Leader and Senate Majority Leader, where he set a record as the longest-serving Republican leader. Dole was President Gerald Ford’s vice presidential running mate in 1976 and a Republican presidential candidate in both 1988 and 1996, earning the GOP nomination in 1996.
A World War II veteran, he served as national chair of the World War II Memorial Campaign and authored the autobiographical “One Soldier’s Story,” among other books.
Ron Wilson is director of the Huck Boyd National Institute for Rural Development at Kansas State University.By RON WILSON Huck Boyd National Institute for Rural Development
“Be a good neighbor.” That advice and other words of wisdom from his father have helped this Kansas dairyman be a positive force in his community and the dairy industry.
Steve Strickler is owner of Strickler Holstein Farm near Iola. He follows in the footsteps of his father, a longtime leader in the dairy industry.
Steve grew up on the farm which milked 120 cows at the time. Steve studied dairy science and technical journalism at K-State. After graduation, he worked for a dairy cooperative in Wisconsin and then for a national magazine, Hoard’s Dairyman, which took him coast to coast in the U.S. and beyond. He enjoyed the work but the thought of the family dairy farm drew him back home.
“The calling of the farm was too much,” Steve said. In 1979, he returned to the farm and eventually took over the operation from his father. Now Steve has three kids and four grandchildren of his own.
Steve’s siblings are also in the Iola community. Brother Tom is a banker and brother Doug does the cropping operation, while Steve has expanded the dairy. They credit their father, Ivan Strickler, with leadership and inspiration.
“My dad was a real visionary,” Steve said. The first commercial cow embryo was implanted in 1976. The Stricklers started using that breeding technology in the same year.
As artificial insemination became more common as a way to improve quality and production in dairy herds, bulls were kept at breeding services or stud farms. The Stricklers’ genetic line was very popular. “In 1985, we sold more bulls to bull studs than any other registered Holstein breeder,” Steve said.
The farm continued to expand. In 1999, the Stricklers purchased the Alta Genetics Natural Bull Sales program, which expanded their business from coast to coast. Today the Stricklers milk some 400 Holsteins. By the way, they pronounce the name of the breed Hol-stine because that is the way it was originally pronounced in Europe.
Farmer-owned milk marketing cooperatives represent a way for many dairy farmers to work together and share the costs of handling, hauling, processing and marketing milk.
“Dad was a huge believer in cooperatives,” Steve said. “He and others started a dairy co-op named Mid-America Dairymen.” Ivan Strickler eventually was elected Mid-Am President and served 13 years. Mid-America Dairymen grew through the years. In 1996, leaders from Mid-America Dairymen and other regional cooperatives met to discuss strategies for dealing with changes in the industry. In 1998, they came together to form Dairy Farmers of America or DFA, the nation’s largest dairy cooperative.
One of the current members of the Board of Directors of DFA is Steve Strickler. “I’m quite proud of DFA,” Steve said. He’s also proud of his father’s vision.
“He was so prophetic,” Steve said. “He would say that the biggest challenge to the dairy industry is in educating the consuming public. With each generation becoming even more removed from the farm, many consumers have no idea where their food comes from.”
For decades, the community of Iola had conducted an annual farm-city day to build relationships between urban and rural cousins. “About five years ago, that event almost died,” Steve said. He hated to see it lapse as a vehicle for urban-rural communication, so the Stricklers decided to host it at their farm every year. It is an opportunity to showcase to the public how farmers are using technology and achieving sustainability to conserve resources for the future.
The Strickler Holstein Farm is located near the rural community of Iola, population 5,454 people. Now, that’s rural. Steve wants his neighbors to understand the importance of the production of milk and other farm products.
“Be a good neighbor.” That advice from pioneering dairyman Ivan Strickler has served his son Steve well, along with his other sons Tom and Doug. We commend the Strickler family for making a difference by leading the dairy industry and cooperative businesses. It’s the neighborly thing to do.
And there’s more. Another Kansan serves on the Board of Directors of the Dairy Farmers of America, and we’ll learn about him next week.
DODGE CITY — High Plains Journal, a weekly trade publication for farmers and ranchers with roots extending back to 1883, has been purchased by the owners of The Waterways Journal. It will continue to be headquartered in historic Dodge City, Kansas, and will operate under a new entity named High Plains Journal, LLC.
“High Plains Journal, known as the ‘Farmer’s Bible,’ has an incredible reputation, talented staff and a dedication to farmers and ranchers that is unequaled,” Nelson Spencer, Jr., publisher of The Waterways Journal said. “The Waterways Journal serves commerce along the U.S. inland and intracoastal waterways. Agriculture is a major customer of the barge industry, and we are honored to have this new link to an industry that we have always admired,” Spencer said.
Both publications feature paid circulation and weekly delivery. The two companies will both benefit from shared expertise in publishing, event management, digital media and the production of custom solutions.
“High Plains Journal’s commitment to farmers and ranchers and helping them succeed remains our highest priority and is now strengthened by working with another company that has such a long-standing commitment to serving its readers, as well,” Holly Martin, publisher and editor of High Plains Journal, said.
The integrity of the HPJ brand will remain intact, while a few improvements are to be expected. High Plains Journal announced that it has outsourced its printing operations to a Midwest printer. The new printer offers more options for advertisers. New events are being planned, as well as improved digital media offerings.
“Our goal is to increase the publication’s value for both the subscriber and the advertiser, while being a strong advocate for the industries and area that it serves,” Spencer said.
“We are very excited about the new opportunities this will bring our High Plains Journal readers and clients,” Martin said.
Paul Hurst, long-time national account rep for High Plains Journal, said he is excited about the partnership. “They really ‘get’ HPJ, being a family-owned company that has the same values that have made HPJ successful.” Zac Stuckey, sales director for HPJ, agreed. “What excites me the most about the change in ownership is HPJ is better positioned to respond and accommodate the needs of our advertising partners while also offering an improved experience for our readers.”
High Plains Journal serves farmers and ranchers in the Interior Plains of the United States from its offices in Dodge City, Kansas. High Plains Journal has a focus on the High and Great Plains regions, while High Plains Journal/Midwest Ag is its regional for the Central Plains and Midwest. Prior to 1949, it was called The Dodge City Journal with a history dating back to 1883. In 1949, the title grew to serve agriculture interests throughout the region. Today, the trade publication has websites, newsletters, events and a robust digital marketing program to serve its 42,000 subscribers.
The Waterways Journal Inc. serves the commercial marine industry with trade magazines, trade shows, directories, websites and related communications. It is a family-owned business operating in St. Louis, Missouri, since 1887. Through its division, Ripple Custom Media, it also produces consumer titles and provides custom publishing services.
Attorneys say their privileged meetings and phone calls with clients at the Leavenworth Detention Center were unlawfully recorded. Credit Google Map
Attorneys alleging their meetings and phone calls with clients at the Leavenworth Detention Center were unlawfully recorded can move forward with a class-action lawsuit, a federal judge has ruled.
U.S. District Judge Stephen Bough found that a class action was the best way to proceed because “(i)t would be judicially uneconomical for the Court to entertain hundreds if not thousands of individualized claims” over the same issue.
That issue is whether the private operator of the facility, CoreCivic, and its provider of telephone and recording services, Securus Technologies, unlawfully intercepted privileged attorney-client communications in violation of federal and state wiretap laws and the Sixth Amendment right to counsel.
“This has always been a real important case to us in terms of the underlying implications of constitutional rights and the American criminal justice system,” said Michael A. Hodgson, one of the attorneys who filed the lawsuit.
“We took this case because of the nature of the privileged conversations themselves and the importance of the attorney-client relationship,” he added. “So I would say we’re cautiously optimistic and encouraged by the court’s ruling. We’ve got a long ways to go … but this was a great first step in that process.”
In his ruling, Bough wrote that he “acknowledges the importance of the attorney-client privilege and recognizes the sanctity of what is at stake in the present controversy — public trust in the legal system and the administration of justice.”
Hodgson said the class certified by Bough could eventually number as many as 1,000 attorneys.
The case, which was filed in 2016, is one of two class-action lawsuits spawned by disclosures that privileged attorney-client phone calls and meetings were recorded at the Leavenworth facility. The other case was filed on behalf of detainees and is in the midst of settlement negotiations.
Both suits, which contend the recordings violated federal and state wiretap laws, have the potential to expose CoreCivic and Securus to millions of dollars in damages.
A spokeswoman for CoreCivic, the largest private operator of prisons and detention facilities in the United States, said the company does not comment on pending litigation.
CoreCivic owns and operates Leavenworth Detention Center, which houses pre-trial detainees and has more than 1,100 beds.
The company insists it did nothing wrong because it says outgoing calls subject to recording were preceded by a pre-recorded message to that effect. But in-person meetings were recorded as well, and neither clients nor their attorneys were warned that those might also be recorded.
The recordings first came to light in a criminal case alleging that guards, inmates and outside parties had smuggled drugs and contraband into the Leavenworth Detention Center.
U.S. District Judge Julie Robinson, who is overseeing that case, appointed a special master – an independent third party – to investigate the extent of the problem and whether the recordings were provided to law enforcement officials and prosecutors.
In court filings, David Johnson, the attorney who filed the class action case on behalf of attorneys who say they were unlawfully recorded, says that data provided by Securus show that nearly 19,000 calls to 567 attorneys on a list compiled by the special master were recorded. And Johnson says that probably understates the number, since calls were also made to attorneys not on the special master’s list.
Through a generous grant from the Dane G. Hansen Foundation, 30 paid internships are available for Fort Hays State University students during the 2018-19 academic year (including the summer 2019 term).
FHSU will partner with employers in the Hansen Foundation’s 26-county service area in northwest Kansas to create these part-time internships. The employer invests $500 toward the student intern’s wages, and the remaining funding is provided through the Hansen Foundation grant.
Each internship is for one semester. The intern will work 15-20 hours per week, up to 240 total hours. Internships are open to FHSU students in any major or academic area of study.
While this program has been in existence for several years, the administration of the internships has changed. Formerly housed in the College of Business and Entrepreneurship, it is now overseen by Career Services. Increased funding made it possible to double the number of internships.
“The Hansen Internship program is a tremendous opportunity for FHSU students who want to expand their knowledge and gain on-the-job experience in preparing for their future career. We are grateful to the Hansen Foundation for making possible these internships,” said Lisa Karlin, internship coordinator and career advisor.
Both employers and students will be chosen through a competitive application process. Applications are currently being accepted.
Interested employers should go to the Career Services page on the FHSU website (fhsu.edu/career/employers/hansen-internship-program) to learn more about the program and complete the application. The employer must also provide a detailed job description for the internship. The priority deadline is Oct. 5 for employers to apply for a fall 2018 intern.
Students may apply for an internship through their Handshake account at fhsu.joinhandshake.com. The internship is posted under the Jobs tab and can be found by searching the keywords “Hansen Internships.” Students should apply by Oct. 5 to receive priority consideration for a fall internship.
Today
A chance of drizzle, mainly before 10am. Cloudy, then gradually becoming mostly sunny, with a high near 67. East southeast wind 8 to 18 mph becoming south in the afternoon.
Tonight
Partly cloudy, with a low around 58. Southeast wind 13 to 15 mph.
Sunday
Mostly sunny, with a high near 75. Southeast wind 10 to 14 mph becoming east northeast in the afternoon.
Sunday Night
Mostly cloudy, with a low around 57. Northeast wind 7 to 11 mph becoming south after midnight.
Monday
Mostly sunny, with a high near 77. West wind around 10 mph.
Monday Night
Partly cloudy, with a low around 58.
Tuesday
Mostly sunny, with a high near 85. Breezy.
Tuesday Night
Partly cloudy, with a low around 68. Breezy.
PRATT – Linda Craghead, who served as Assistant Secretary of State Parks and Tourism for the past seven years, is now leading the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism (KDWPT) as Interim Secretary. Craghead was appointed to the position by Governor Jeff Colyer, M.D. on August 27, 2018. Former KDWPT Secretary, Robin Jennison, took over as general manager of the Kansas State Fair on September 24.
Prior to coming to KDWPT, Craghead worked for the agriculture industry giant, Cargill, Inc. After returning to her home state, Linda served as an economic development consultant and site coordinator for the annual Symphony in The Flint Hills – a unique outdoor concert held in the heart of Kansas’ iconic Flint Hills, drawing upwards of 7,000 guests from all over the world.
“The state of Kansas has so many great things to offer,” said Craghead. “I’m excited to have this opportunity and look forward to serving the people of the great state of Kansas in this new role.”
Craghead, who lives in Alma, graduated from Kansas State University with a bachelor’s degree in Animal Sciences and Agriculture.
PHILLIPSBURG – The Phillipsburg Panthers looked every bit the part of the top ranked team in class 2A Friday night as they defeated the TMP-Marian Monarchs 45-0.
The Panthers finished with 319 total yards, 261 of that on the ground as Treylan Gross and Trey Sides each rushed for a pair of scores.
Gross finished with 79 yards on five carries and those two touchdowns and Sides had 66 yards and two touchdowns on four carries.
Sides also connected on a 42 yards touchdown pass to his brother Ty, and finished 2-for-6 passing with 58 yards and that one touchdown.
The Monarchs offense was limited to just 18 yards. Quarterback Carson Jacobs finished with a team-high 15 yards on nine carries.
TMP coach David Bowen postgame interview
TMP drops to 1-4 on the season and 0-2 in district action. They will travel to Norton next Friday.
Phillipsburg is 5-0 and 2-0 in the district race and they are at Ellsworth next week.
Listen to Mike Cooper interviewing Carmen Winter, Exercise Physiologist; and Kelly Flaska, Director of Fitness and Auquatics; from The Center for Health Improvement at HaysMed by clicking the link above and then clicking the play button
Listen as the ‘Voice of the Chiefs’ Mitch Holthus recaps last week’s home win over San Francisco and previews Monday Night’s showdown in Denver against the Broncos.
Today
