By Mary Rankin

MANHATTAN — Kansas State University’s nuclear reactor control console in Ward Hall will be getting a much-needed upgrade, funded by a $1.5 million Nuclear Engineering University Partnerships grant from the U.S. Department of Energy.

The entire reactor console will be replaced, including cabling and neutron detectors used to monitor reactor power. While the core and control rods will remain the same, plans include replacing some of the auxiliary monitoring equipment such as conductivity meters and radiation detectors to improve compatibility with the new console.

The existing control console in the mechanical and nuclear engineering departmentreactor facility was procured second hand from the U.S. Geographical Survey reactor facility following an upgrade to its console in the 1990s.

“Researchers and educators in the College of Engineering will be able to more easily access data from the reactor data loggers for use in lab experiments,” said Jeff Geuther, nuclear reactor facilities manager and principal investigator of the grant. “The reactor console will feature more redundancy with regard to required safety functions, which will improve safety and reliability.”

Many of the current console components are obsolete and difficult to repair, causing frequent reactor downtime due to console reliability issues. The vendor for the original console does not always have ready replacements for broken parts.

“Another reason to upgrade the console, aside from increased reliability,” Geuther said, “is that we will be able to improve the interface for operators by incorporating controls and indicators for auxiliary equipment into the main console. We also plan to increase the number of data outputs for classes and experiments.”

The objective in the replacement process is to select a bid by January 2016, followed by approximately 18 months for design and construction of the console. Completed installation is set for September 2018. A one-month reactor outage for console replacement is planned for summer 2018 to minimize interruption for classes that use the reactor.

By ALEX SMITH

An infectious disease that typically affects about 10 people in Kansas City annually has already spread to more than 14 times that number this year, health officials said Friday.

Shigella is spread by direct or indirect fecal-oral contact. Symptoms include diarrhea, abdominal pain, fever and vomiting, among other symptoms. It may also cause convulsions in young children.

The Kansas City Health Department has investigated more than 143 cases of the disease since the start of the year, officials said.

Twenty cases have been confirmed so far in the Wichita area this year, according to the KDHE.

When untreated, Shigella bacteria can remain in the body for four weeks or more. Anti-microbial treatment can reduce that to a few days.

The microbes appear to be unusually hardy.

“What is also concerning is that that we are seeing three different strains that are resistant to certain antibiotics,” Tiffany Wilkinson, a health department official, said in a statement.

To prevent further spreading of Shigella, health officials advise hand washing, correct diaper disposal and keeping sick adults and children away from swimming pools.

Alex Smith is a reporter for Heartland Health Monitor, a news collaboration focusing on health issues and their impact in Missouri and Kansas.

WICHITA – Law enforcement authorities reported a second suspect has been arrested in connection with the fatal shooting of a 66-year-old woman in her Wichita home.

Brittany McDay, 22, the subject of statewide search, was arrested on Sunday and is being held on a first-degree murder charge, two counts of aggravated burglary, aggravated robbery, theft and criminal use of financial card, according to an online report from the Sedgwick County Jail.

She is being held on $250,000 bond.

Police arrested Jacob Strouse, 21, last week in connection with the murder. He made his first court appearance Wednesday and faces several charges including first-degree murder, aggravated robbery and criminal possession of a weapon by a convicted felon.

-The Associated Press contributed to this report.

BURLINGTON, Kan. (AP) — A man is in critical condition after police say he was stabbed with a screwdriver in his Burlington home.

WIBW-TV reports the man was injured Saturday afternoon. The Coffey County Sheriff’s Office says the man called 911 to report his home and trailer had been broken into. Police say that while he was on the phone with dispatch, a man who was hiding in the home jumped out with a large screwdriver and stabbed the victim in the stomach.

The victim was transported to a Topeka hospital. According to Coffey County Sheriff Randy Rogers, police are still looking for a suspect described as a 6-foot-tall, black male wearing blue jeans and sandals. Rogers said the suspect was also wearing a red or maroon shirt.

The investigation is ongoing.

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Organizers of a wedding expo geared toward same-sex couples say the November event in Topeka will give businesses a chance to let the gay community know they want their business.

The Kansas Equality Wedding Expo is scheduled for Nov. 22 at the Maner Conference Center, with some of the proceeds from the $5 entrance fee to benefit Topeka Pride.

The Topeka Capital-Journal reports the event will feature vendors who are friendly to same-sex couples.

Visit Topeka president Brett Oetting says the expo will help couples avoid the discomfort of going into a business and finding out the owner doesn’t want to serve them.

A similar event took place in February just across the state line in the Westport neighborhood of Kansas City, Missouri.

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A young would-be robber wielding an unusual weapon demanded cigarettes but ended up getting nervous and leaving a Wichita QuikTrip empty-handed.

The Wichita Eagle reports a boy between 10 and 12 years old walked into the convenience store shortly after 5 a.m. Sunday and confronted the lone clerk with a paint scraper.

Police spokesman Sgt. Roger Runft says the small-statured child stated it was a robbery, and the clerk asked what he wanted.

Runft says the boy wanted cigarettes but the clerk asked him for an ID. The boy responded that he didn’t need an I.D. because it was a robbery.

That’s when the clerk stared the would-be robber down, causing the boy to get nervous and leave.

Police are searching the store’s surveillance tapes for more information.

NEWTON -Thanks to clear skies in Kansas, stargazers saw a double celestial treat Sunday night with a total lunar eclipse combined with a so-called supermoon.

On their facebook page, the Newton Police Department explained that police officers are traditionally superstitious when it comes to working during a full moon but they were sharing some of their photos of Sunday night’s eclipse.

It’s the first time the supermoon and total lunar eclipse have made a twin appearance since 1982, and they won’t again until 2033.

JOHN HANNA, AP Political Writer

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas officials say the state will know its underfunded pension system is back on solid financial ground when its revenues and investment earnings are expected to cover 80 percent of the benefits promised retirees over the next two decades.

Their rule of thumb has popped up repeatedly as Republican Gov. Sam Brownback and GOP legislators have touted their efforts to improve the public pension system’s health. The funding figure was only 62 percent at the end of last year but is expected to rise.

The 80 percent benchmark has been cited in federal reports, but its value is questioned by actuaries, a national financial rating agency and a group for state pension system administrators.

Such experts say a pension system’s health depends on multiple factors and not a single benchmark.

 

CUNNINGHAM – A teenage driver died in an accident during a pursuit by law enforcement just after 7:30a.m. on Sunday in Kingman County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported Pratt County Deputies were notified of a 2013 Toyota Highlander with Oklahoma license plates driven erratically westbound on U.S. 54 just south of Cunningham.

Officers attempted to stop the vehicle and pursued it into Kingman County at speeds in excess of 100mph.

The vehicle exited the highway at 170th Avenue. The driver, Rebeca Vandermerwe,15, lost control of the Toyota.

It traveled down the shoulder of the exit ramp, and rear-ended the trailer of a semi that was legally parked on the shoulder of the exit ramp.

Vandermerwe was pronounced dead at the scene and transported to Sedgwick County Forensics.

A sheriff in Stanton County, Texas notified the family of the death.

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CUNNINGHAM – Law enforcement authorities in South Central Kansas are investigating a fatal crash just after 7:30a.m. on Sunday in Kingman County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported Pratt County Deputies were notified of an erratic driver westbound on U.S. 54 just south of Cunningham.

Officers attempted to stop the vehicle and pursued it into Kingman County at speeds in excess of 100mph.

The vehicle exited the highway at 170th Avenue. The driver lost control of the vehicle.

It traveled down the shoulder of the exit ramp, and rear-ended the trailer of another vehicle that was legally parked on the shoulder of the exit ramp.

The accident remains under investigation. Check Hays Post for additional details as they become available.

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas education officials say the state’s public school system might need a complete overhaul to meet the demands of the future workplace.

Education Commissioner Randy Watson says that could include changes in school culture, new roles for counselors and getting students more real-life work experience.

The Wichita Eagle reports Watson spoke on Friday to a group of about 100 educators in Wichita. Earlier this year he and deputy commissioner Brad Neuenswander held discussions across the state to find out what residents want from their education system.

Most said students need non-academic skills such as conscientiousness, persistence, teamwork, emotional stability and work ethic.

Business leaders said personality traits and soft skills are more important for success than academic knowledge.

HUTCHINSON– A Reno County Correctional Facility inmate was taken to a Wichita hospital after a beating incident inside the facility just before 8:30 p.m. on Saturday.

Darrell Beachy, 30, was flown to a Wichita hospital for undetermined head injuries after being beaten in his pod by inmates Antoine Alexander and William Alexander, according to a media release from Reno County Sheriff Randy Henderson.

Both Antoine and William Alexander now face an aggravated battery charge added to there original charges and should appear before a judge on Monday.

Antoine Alexander is in custody on Fail to appear charges from Hutchinson and South Hutchinson. William Alexander is being held on a Fail to appear charge in Salina.

Beachy is in custody on numerous charges of theft, burglary, forgery and interference with law enforcement.

FORT RILEY -Soldiers from the First Infantry Division at Fort Riley will soon deploy to Kuwait for a nine-month rotation.

According to a media release from the Defense Department, approximately 4,000 soldiers from the 2nd Brigade, the so-called “Dagger Brigade,” will deploy “to support multinational partners and build coalition capacity” in support of cooperation agreements in the CENTCOM area of responsibility.

The announcement did not offer specific dates, saying the rotation would begin in late fall.

“I’m extremely proud of the 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, and I know they’ll accomplish any mission they’re given,” said Maj. Gen. Wayne W. Grigsby Jr., the commanding general of the 1st Infantry Division.

“As we continue to train and deploy forces forward to assist our coalition teammates, the Dagger Brigade is ready to execute this mission. Their leaders have decades of combined experience in the region – this is the right team for the task.