MORRIS COUNTY — One person died in an accident early Sunday in Morris County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a vehicle was eastbound on U.S. Highway 56 ten miles east of Herrington.

The vehicle ran over Shawn Irons, 56, Herrington,  who was lying in the middle of the road and then departed the scene.

The KHP reported the accident occurred between1:21and 01:44 a.m. Sunday. Irons was pronounced dead at the scene and transported to  Zeiner Funeral Home.

Authorities released no additional details.

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The chances of a Kansas voter’s ballot being counted might depend on which county he or she lives in — especially if they vote by mail.

The issue of counties having different standards for determining whether a ballot should be counted came up last week (Monday) during a meeting of the State Objections Board, where Davis Hammet of Topeka objected to Republican Kris Kobach’s victory in the Aug. 7 GOP primary for governor. Hammet’s objections involved how the election was administered and whether the varying standards could have influenced the outcome of a race that Kobach won over Gov. Jeff Colyer by less than 350 votes.

Hammet noted Johnson County rejected 153 mail-in ballots because the signature on the envelope used to mail the ballot back to the county did not match the voter’s signature on file in the county election office.

In contrast, Shawnee and Douglas counties’ election officials didn’t reject any ballots because of mismatched signatures.

“This means either Johnson County erroneously rejected these ballots, or there is massive voter fraud in Johnson County,” Hammet told the board. “If the board rules that my objection is wrong and that Johnson County’s rejection is correct, then, given the discrepancy between Johnson County and Shawnee County, it can reasonably be presumed that Shawnee County and other counties improperly allowed fraudulent votes.”

Hammet also noted Kansas doesn’t require county officials to verify signatures when voters mail back their ballots. They are required to do so only when the voter fills out a form requesting an advance ballot by mail.

The Objections Board rejected the argument that county officials should not verify ballot signatures. Deputy Secretary of State Eric Rucker said that while the law does not require verifying signatures on advance ballot envelopes, it does say election officers have a duty to challenge ballots when there is reason to believe the people casting them are not who they say they are, and a mismatched signature can be evidence of that.

Shawnee County Election Commissioner Andrew Howell said his office didn’t reject any ballots in August because of mismatched signatures, but he said he typically sees at least a few mismatched signatures in each election. Deciding whether to count a ballot is often a judgment call that is left to local officials, he said.

“Anytime the law leaves it open for interpretation, everybody does the best they can,” Howell said. “We’re always left with the challenge of trying to make a reasonable determination.”

Howell said Shawnee County also spends a lot of time calling, writing or mailing voters if there is a problem with a ballot before deciding to reject it.

Douglas County Clerk Jamie Shew said the county also didn’t reject any ballots because of mismatched signatures. His office often sends “runners” to voters’ homes to clear up any problems with their ballots.

“There’s nothing in the statute that says we have to reach out to the voter. That’s a decision we make,” Shew said.

Attorney Brant Lauenn said Hammet raised issues that the Legislature should resolve. But Rep. Vic Miller, D-Topeka, an attorney who often frequently handles election contests for Democratic candidates, said he thinks the secretary of state’s office should decide what he called administrative issues.

Howell also said he wasn’t sure whether imposing uniform standards on all counties would be helpful.

“It’s kind of a double-edged sword,” he said. “Too much subscription takes away from judgment calls, and a lot of times you need to make judgment calls. On the other hand, it would be helpful to be super clear what to count and not to count.”

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By CELIA LLOPIS-JEPSEN

Sepsis hits nearly two million people in the U.S. a year and kills more than a quarter million. It’s a particular problem in nursing homes, where the aging, confused and immobile are especially susceptible.

In Kansas, scores of nursing homes have received federal citations since 2015 for practices that can put residents at a higher risk of sepsis.

A Kaiser Health News compilation of those warnings to nursing home operators shows eight Kansas nursing homes earned the most serious level of citations.

Those health issues matter, says sepsis expert Steven Simpson at the University of Kansas Medical Center, because of where they can lead.

“Sepsis is one of the most common causes of death if you’re in a nursing home,” he said.

Simpson’s school works with nursing homes across Kansas to teach them about early signs of sepsis, warnings that can save a patient’s life.

“People think a lot about heart attacks. People think about strokes,” he said. “But infection is a huge, huge killer.”

Sepsis occurs when your body is fighting off an infection but the chemicals flowing into your bloodstream inadvertently trigger other life-threatening complications, including potential organ failure.

Recognizing the signs of sepsis earlier and more often would cut down on annual deaths from it. Even better would be preventing sepsis from taking hold at all — by keeping elderly residents from developing bed sores or other complications that open the door to infection.

The Kansas News Service has published the Kansas-specific data from Kaiser Health News. View citations since 2015, if any, at nursing homes in your area above

The citations relate to infection prevention and control, catheters, feeding tubes and bedsores.

Citations are ranked on a scale. Immediate jeopardy to resident health or safety is most serious. Want more info about a given nursing home? You can view additional health indicators and read inspection reports in detail on the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid nursing home website.

Read Kaiser Health News’ in-depth report on sepsis at nursing homes.

Data methodology is available here.

Risk for developing infections leading to sepsis can relate directly to staffing levels at nursing homes.

Residents who can’t move easily without help, for example, require frequent attention to stave off bedsores. Mayo Clinic’s tips for preventing bedsores include shifting one’s weight every 15 minutes if seated in a wheelchair.

That lack of mobility is just one reason nursing home residents are especially vulnerable to sepsis, Simpson said.

Additionally, immune systems weaken with age. Some elderly also may not develop fevers or elevated heart rates that serve as clear warning signs. They may also have trouble describing their discomfort.

“Probably the most important things to look out for in your family member who is in a nursing home are mental status changes,” Simpson said.

For instance, if someone who is normally clear-headed suddenly becomes confused and can’t remember basic facts, sepsis might be the cause.

Kaiser Health News also published federal data on staffing levels at nursing homes around the country. The Kansas News Service has reproduced the Kansas data on the map below.

Read Kaiser’s in-depth report on staff levels at nursing homes.

Data glossary and methodology are available here.

Celia Llopis-Jepsen is a reporter for the Kansas News Service, a collaboration of KCUR, Kansas Public Radio, KMUW and High Plains Public Radio covering health, education and politics. You can reach her on Twitter @Celia_LJ. 

MARSHALL COUNTY — One person died in an accident just before 2p.m. Saturday in Marshall County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 1997 Harley Davidson driven by Cameron Dodds, 47, Washington, Kan., was eastbound on K9 one mile west of K99 in Frankfort.

The motorcycle traveled across the westbound lane, entered the north ditch and overturned several times.

A passenger Diane Thompson, 50, Sterling, NE., was pronounced dead at the scene and transported to Kinsley Mortuary.

Dodds was transported Bryan Medical Center West in Lincoln.

They were not wearing helmets, according to the KHP.

KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — A 33-year-old Kansas firefighter has been charged with sexual exploitation of a minor after he allegedly solicited sex from someone he thought was 15.

Wyandotte County District Attorney Mark Dupree says that Devin Rich turned himself in Friday and is being held in the Wyandotte County jail on a $100,000 bond.

Dupree says the person Rich solicited was actually an undercover FBI agent. Dupree says some of the communications occurred when Rich was on duty.

A court date has not been set.

Rich’s attorney, John Duma, said he would not comment on the case.

The Kansas City fire department said in a statement Friday that Rich was an eight-year veteran of the department and has been suspended without pay since April.

RENO COUNTY — One person was injured in an accident just after 3p.m. Saturday in Reno County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 1994 International semi driven by Floyd C. Bogner Jr., 66, Burton, was southbound on Victory Road. The driver stopped at the stop sign at the railroad tracks and proceeded slowly across the tracks.

An eastbound Watco train driven by Mark A. Wells, 57, Hutchinson, struck the semi. The train proceeded and stopped shortly after the crash. It was partially derailed, according to the KHP.

Bogner Jr. was transported to Wesley Medical Center. There were no injuries on the train.

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HAVEN, Kan. — One person was injured when the tractor trailer rig he was driving collided with a train near Haven.

According to Reno County 911, the truck was on Victory Road when it was hit by an eastbound K and O freight train. The train hit the semi in the trailer that was filled with grain and knocked it into the south ditch. The last of three locomotives and 12 cars derailed with a half dozen laying over on their sides. The locomotive stayed upright.

The driver of the truck was taken by EMS to a Wichita Hospital. No one on the locomotive was injured. Officials with K and O are on the scene to address the cleanup and removal of the wreckage. Haven Road was closed in Haven. Victory Road was closed also.

The accident happened just after 3 p.m. about one mile east of Haven.

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The Kansas Department of Agriculture hopes to start issuing licenses for farmers to grow industrial hemp in time for next year’s spring planting season.

Agency spokeswoman Heather Lansdowne said on Friday that proposed rules and regulations were submitted earlier in the week to the Department of Administration. That’s the first step in a long process required to establish an industrial hemp program in Kansas.

The program will initially allow growing hemp only for research. But officials said in an economic impact statement that a successful research-based pilot program may lead to the eventual legalization of commercial industrial hemp.

Kansas lawmakers in April authorized the agriculture department to issue licenses allowing industrial hemp for research, and for other businesses to research potential commercial uses of the crop.

WELLINGTON, Kan. (AP) — A south-central Kansas man has died after being stabbed in the chest, and another person has been arrested.

Officials say the stabbing happened around 2:30 a.m. Saturday in in the 300 Block of North B Street in Wellington.

Police say officers who arrived on the scene found a 26-year-old man with chest injuries. He was taken to a Wichita hospital, where he later died.

Police say a woman was arrested in connection with the stabbing.

No names or other details of what led to the stabbing have been released.

DENVER (AP) — A U.S. meatpacker has agreed to pay $1.5 million to 138 Somali-American Muslim workers who were fired from their jobs at a Colorado plant after they were refused prayer breaks.

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission said Friday that Wichita, Kansas-based Cargill Meat Solutions also pledged to accommodate Somali-American workers’ prayer breaks at its Fort Morgan plant.

The EEOC says Cargill denies wrongdoing but agreed to settle to avoid further litigation.

Last year, the EEOC found that the workers were fired in 2016 after protesting a decision by plant management to stop permitting Muslim employees to take short breaks for prayer.

Hundreds of Somali-Americans work at the plant in Fort Morgan, located 75 miles (115 kilometers) northeast of Denver.

HUTCHINSON (AP) — A longtime officer of the Riley County Police Department will become Hutchinson’s new police chief.

The Hutchinson News reports Jeffrey Hooper, who is currently a captain in Manhattan, will take over the chief’s job on Oct. 22. He succeeds Dick Heitschmidt, who retired.

Hooper has been with the Riley County Police Department for 27 years, including the past 14 as a captain. He has also been an officer, detective, sergeant, and lieutenant.

The Riley County Police Department is a combined law enforcement agency for the city of Manhattan and Riley County.

Hooper has a bachelor’s degree in Sociology/Criminal Justice from Kansas State University and is a graduate of the 213th FBI National Academy.

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Two juveniles at Lawrence High School were arrested this week after a parent reported hearing that a student tried to sell a gun to another student.

Principal Matt Brungardt said in an email to parents that police and school officials discovered the weapon had been taken from a parent’s home. Lawrence police recovered the firearm off the school campus.

District spokeswoman Julie Boyle said the gun was found Thursday. She says the parents of the students were notified and disciplinary action had been taken in accordance with district policy.

Lawrence officer Derrick Smith said Friday that two juveniles were arrested Monday morning on the school grounds.

The Douglas County District Attorney’s Office didn’t immediately respond to a question about whether charges would be filed.