DETROIT (AP) — The U.S. government says the fuel economy of the nation’s fleet of cars and trucks likely won’t meet its targets in 2025 because low gas prices have changed the types of vehicles people are buying.
Under standards set in 2012, automakers’ fleets were expected to get an average of 54.5 miles per gallon by 2025. But in a report issued Monday, the government says that’s more likely to be between 50 miles per gallon and 52.6 miles per gallon.
A summary of the report — by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Department of Transportation and the California Air Resources Board — was obtained by The Associated Press.
The report is part of a review that will decide whether to relax the standards or keep them in place. .
TOPEKA – A Kansas woman pleaded guilty Monday to conspiring to operate an interstate sex trafficking business, according to acting U.S. Attorney Tom Beall.
Shannon Nelson, 23, Topeka, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy. In her plea, she admitted conspiring with co-defendants to operate a Topeka-based prostitution business. At times, as many as 20 females were working as prostitutes for the organization. The leader of the organization rented houses where some of the prostitutes were allowed to live. The organization used Web sites, social media and cell phones to advertise sexual services and to keep track of prostitutes.
Nelson admitted she worked for co-defendant Frank Boswell as a commercial sex worker. She became a trusted member of Boswell’s organization and lived in one of Boswell’s houses. She posted advertisements for herself and other women on a Web site offering sexual services. She used cell phones to communicate with Boswell and others in the course of operating the prostitution business.
Federal agents encountered her July 15, 2015, at a Motel 6 in Omaha where she and other women had gone to engage in prostitution.
Sentencing is set for Oct. 24. She faces a penalty of up to five years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000 on each count.
Co-defendant Frank Boswell, 42, Topeka, Kan., is awaiting trial. Co-defendant Rachel Flenniken, 34, Topeka, Kan., is set for sentencing Oct. 17. Co-defendant Sean P. Hall, 46, Topeka, Kan., is set for sentencing Oct. 3.
Beall commended the Topeka Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations, the FBI and Assistant U.S. Attorney Christine Kenney for their work on the case.
Luthi Home Day Care, 18409 West 114th in Olathe- photo KMBC
TOPEKA –The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) on Monday issued an Emergency Order of Suspension to a day care home at 18409 W 114th Street in Olathe, licensed under the name Kristine Luthi Home Day Care.
According to the order, in September 2015, a dog owned by the licensee bit a child in care. In January, the dog bit a parent of a child in care
The licensee agreed to keep the dog on a different level of the home and away from children.
On July 5, the dog bit a child in care on the face that required medical treatment.
The licensee may file a petition for reconsideration with the KDHE or a petition for judicial review within 30 days.
HUTCHINSON -A Kansas man was in court Monday for the reading of charges in a Jessica’s Law child sex case.
Sterling Tucker, 22, Hutchinson, is charged with aggravated indecent liberties with a child, for alleged touching or fondling of a 9-year-old girl.
Because the child is under the age of 14, the possible sentence is life in prison with no chance of parole for 25-years, under Jessica’s Law.
The alleged crime occurred between Dec. 25, 2015 and Feb. 15, 2016 in the city of Hutchinson.
Tucker also faces a second charge of blackmail where he allegedly threatened to communicate accusations or statements about the sister of the victim that could subject her to ridicule, contempt or degradation.
The bond in the case is $35,000 and in court, Tucker asked for a reduction, but District Attorney Keith Schroeder argued against it telling the judge that considering the severity of the crime and the possible sentence, the bond is minimal.
Magistrate Judge Cheryl Allen agreed and denied the reduction.
The case will now be put on a future waiver-status docket on August 25.
Photo by Commonwealth Fund A report from the Commonwealth Fund found that states where Medicaid eligibility was expanded had greater improvement in access to care than states without expansion, including Kansas and Missouri.
By BRYAN THOMPSON
A review of health system performance nationwide shows some improvement in Kansas — but not much.
The report, released Thursday by the nonprofit Commonwealth Fund, covers three dozen indicators of access, quality, cost and health outcomes.
Most of the data used for the report is from 2011 to 2014, which is the first year the Affordable Care Act provided subsidized health insurance through the online marketplace for citizens who were not insured through an employer.
The report concludes that the ACA is largely responsible for many of the health system improvements as more people gained insurance and were able to obtain and better afford needed health care.
“Largely because of the ACA’s coverage expansions, the percentage of working-age adults without health insurance fell in nearly all local areas — dropping by four percentage points or more in 189 local areas between 2012 and 2014,” the report said. “In addition, 155 local areas saw substantial reductions in 30-day readmission rates for Medicare beneficiaries, coinciding with the ACA’s penalties for hospitals that have high readmission rates.”
Like the rest of the country, Kansas saw more measures improving than declining — but most of the state’s measures showed little or no change.
Doug McCarthy, co-author of the report, said Kansas is doing better than average in providing patient-centered care in hospitals, preventing pressure sores in nursing home residents and limiting readmission to hospitals from nursing homes. He sees room for improvement in access to care.
McCarthy said the researchers found that states where Medicaid eligibility was expanded had greater improvement in access to care than states without expansion, including Kansas and Missouri.
“In fact, we looked at communities where there’s a large proportion of individuals who are living on a low income, and those areas in particular did much better — about twice as much improvement there — as similar kinds of communities with a large low-income population in states that didn’t expand Medicaid,” he said.
But improving access to care goes beyond making sure people have insurance, McCarthy said.
“You have, I think, 50,000 more individuals covered through the marketplace in Kansas,” he said. “There’s still a lot of opportunity for local areas to help those individuals get connected to a primary care medical home and ensure they know how to navigate the health system, especially if they have cultural or linguistic barriers.”
The Kansas suicide rate worsened, McCarthy said, and its obesity and infant mortality rates remain worse than the national average.
The Kansas City region, including parts of Kansas and Missouri, had no indicators where health system performance worsened. That region had improved insurance rates for both children and adults. It also improved on several health care quality indicators for people with Medicare.
Overall, the Kansas City region ranked 172nd out of the 306 “hospital referral regions” the report compared. The Topeka region, which includes most of northeast Kansas outside the Kansas City area, ranked 124th. Almost all of the rest of Kansas is included in the Wichita region, which was 184th overall.
The 2016 report is a follow-up to a similar report issued in 2012. Statistics on each of the indicators from both time periods were compared to determine whether performance had improved, worsened or stayed about the same.
Report highlights include:
The 2016 scorecard finds substantial differences among local health care systems, with those in Hawaii, the Upper Midwest, New England and the San Francisco area generally performing better than those in the South and West.
Overall, health care systems in communities with large low-income populations generally do not perform as well as those in wealthier communities. People in poor communities are more likely to go without needed medical care because of the cost, receive a high-risk prescription drug and die early from treatable causes.
“Many communities are showing signs of getting healthier, and that is encouraging,” said Commonwealth Fund President David Blumenthal. “It shows that with the right policies and actions we can make our health care system work for all of us.”
The report calls on the nation to invest more to address social determinants of health — including income, nutrition and environmental conditions — and improve access to mental and behavioral health services.
Bryan Thompson is a reporter for KHI News Service in Topeka, a partner in the Heartland Health Monitor team.
RENO COUNTY -One person was injured in an accident just before 7:30 p.m. on Sunday in Reno County.
The Reno County Sheriff reported a UTV driven by Adam Popp, 31, Haven, was westbound in the 6600 Block of East Arlington Road, according to a social media report.
The vehicle ran off the road and hit a dirt culvert.
Eagle Med flew a passenger Anthany Blanton, 31, Haven to Wesley Medical Center with undetermined injuries, according to the Reno County Sheriff’s Department.
SALINE COUNTY – Law enforcement authorities in Saline County are investigating a suspect on sexual exploitation charges.
Steven Daily, 69, Salina, is alleged to have sent one sexually explicit picture of a teen-age girl to another person via the internet on May 1, according to police captain Mike Sweeney.
The Kansas Department of Children and Families notified Salina Police of the incident on July 12.
Following an investigation police arrested Daily on a requested charge of sexual exploitation of a child.
Police did not reveal the recipient of the photograph.
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — A Kansas woman gave birth last month to twins — her third set of twins in just over two years.
WDAF-TV reports that 20-year-old Danesha Couch of Kansas City, Kansas, admits that she has her hands full. She delivered two boys 26 months ago. One of them died, but Danarius is a busy toddler. She also has twin 1-year-olds Delilah and Davina.
And last month, Dalanie and Darla were born. They just arrived home after three weeks in neonatal intensive care.
PRATT COUNTY – Law enforcement authorities and the State Fire Mashal are investigating the cause of a house fire in Pratt County.
Just after 2:30 a.m. Sunday, the Pratt County Sheriff’s Office, Coats Fire, Sawyer Fire, and Township 12 Fire Departments were called to a structure fire at 301 Santa Fe, in the town of Coats, according to a media release.
On arrival, units found the attached garage to the home was completely engulfed in flames and soon spread to the entire home. The structure was a complete loss.
The occupants were not home at the time and witnesses approximately a block away heard a pop or loud boom and saw smoke and flames a short while later.
Witnesses were sleeping in a back yard. They are the ones who reported the fire. The homeowner reported there was no one or pets in the home.
Anyone with any information on this fire are asked to call the Pratt County Sheriff’s Office at 620-672-4133.
Wichita Police Chief Ramsey during Sunday’s cookout-photo Wichita Police
WICHITA –Officials reported a great turnout for Sunday evening’s “First Steps Barbecue,” at McAdams Park in Wichita, according to a social media report.
The Wichita Police Department, Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office, and Kansas Highway Patrol were among those in law enforcement participating.
After a peaceful Black Lives Matter protest last Tuesday, Wichita police Chief Gordon Ramsay met with local activist leaders to discuss replacing a second protest planned for Sunday with the cookout.
AUBURN, Neb. (AP) — Authorities say a Kansas man has been fatally injured in a southeast Nebraska crash.
The accident was reported a little before 5:40 p.m. Saturday, three miles south of Auburn on U.S. Highway 75.
The Nemaha County Sheriff’s Office says the driver died after being taken to Nemaha County Hospital in Auburn. He was identified as 33-year-old Wade Moore, of Sabetha, Kansas.
He was alone in his vehicle. The crash is being investigated.
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas delegates to the Republican National Convention are showing little appetite for a struggling, last-minute effort to block Donald Trump’s presidential nomination even though most of the state’s contingent is bound to other candidates.
Some of the state’s 40 delegates take comfort in the conservative national platform drafted ahead of the convention, which opens Monday.
Others contend it’s foolhardy to attempt to deny Trump the nomination following his victories in caucuses and primaries earlier this year.
Texas Sen. Ted Cruz won the state’s caucuses in March, and 24 delegates are bound to vote for him at the convention, compared to nine for Trump. Florida Sen. Marco Rubio has six delegates, and Ohio Gov. John Kasich, one.
Kansas delegates said they’ll support Trump in November, regardless of their current affiliations now.
