RENO COUNTY — A small earthquake shook portions of south-central Kansas Sunday morning.

The quake just before 8:30a.m. measured a magnitude 3.1 and was centered approximately 2 miles northwest of South Hutchinson, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

Sunday’s quake follows a series of quakes in Reno County in Mid-August including a 4.2 magnitude quake on August 16.

There were no reports of any damage from Sunday’s quake.

By STEPHEN KORANDA

Aetna Better Health is struggling to keep its Medicaid contract with KanCare, to the point that state officials found fault with Aetna’s recent plan to improve services.

But Kansas lawmakers had two words this week for the company: Keep trying.

At a two-day hearing, health care providers told lawmakers how Aetna isn’t paying them on time. Aetna executives took responsibility for the shortfalls, which have put the company at risk of losing its contract after the state said it wasn’t in compliance and later rejected a proposal to fix the problems.

“We get it. Talk is cheap,” Randy Hyun, CEO of Aetna’s national Medicaid division, told the panel. “We need to show action. We need to show progress, and we absolutely intend to do that.”

Already, Aetna has replaced its state-level CEO, and told lawmakers that it did the same with another top staffer.

The company is one of three groups managing patient care the state’s privatized Medicaid program, KanCare, which provides coverage for nearly 400,000 low-income, elderly and disabled people through Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program, or CHIP.

“I want to apologize for not living up to the expectations that I’ve had,” Hyun said. “We preach operational excellence, and we certainly have not demonstrated that to you.”

During the hearing, lawmakers heard from industry groups about the challenges of working with Aetna. The Kansas Health Care Association, which represents nursing homes, said health care providers are having trouble getting paid by Aetna for the services performed. One facility owner has more than $800,000 in unpaid claims submitted to Aetna.

Cindy Luxem, the group’s CEO and president, said she’s worried about facilities burning through reserves while waiting for the reimbursements.

“Maybe Aetna needs to lay out the money and go back and reimburse at some other point,” she said, “because this isn’t a system that’s working right now.”

The Kansas Hospital Association said some clinics have had trouble signing up with Aetna in the first place to become in-network health care providers. That means the facilities have to get prior approval before providing patients health care.

“We are concerned that access to patient care will be hampered until these network issues are resolved,” said Tish Hollingsworth, vice president of reimbursement for the KHA.

Kansas regulators told Aetna last month that it was out of compliance with its state contract and was at risk of being effectively fired by the state. Aetna’s corrective action plan, delivered Aug. 6, didn’t receive a warm response.

“Quite frankly, we were not satisfied,” Kansas Medicaid Director Adam Proffitt said. “It lacked the necessary detail to show that they were going to get back into compliance.”

The state is reviewing Aetna’s latest proposal this week. Proffitt said it would be a big disruption to cancel Aetna’s contract, as about 100,000 people would have to be shifted to the two other Medicaid contractors. But that doesn’t mean the state will go easy on Aetna. Proffitt wants a quick resolution

“We’re not going to fix the problems for them,” Proffitt said in an interview. “We’re going to provide the support necessary from the state for them to fix the problems.”

Republican Rep. Susan Concannon pointed to the staff shakeup and said she was glad to see the company responding. But, she said, Aetna should have looked at troubles the other managed-care organizations had when the state’s privatized Medicaid program launched in 2013, and “learned from the issues.”

State lawmakers said they’ll keep a close eye on Aetna as the company works to fix problems.

“It’s important that we follow up and make sure the law is being followed and that people get paid and get the care they need,” Democratic Sen. Barbara Bollier said. “If that isn’t being adequately met, then we need to make changes.”

Aetna confirmed during the hearings that David Livingston would replace Keith Wisdom as CEO of the Kansas operation. A LinkedIn profile shows Livingston previously worked for the company on Medicaid in Illinois. Mark Grippi is taking over as acting COO, and previously worked for Aetna in Louisiana.

Stephen Koranda is Statehouse reporter for the Kansas News Service. Follow him on Twitter @kprkoranda or email skoranda (at) ku (dot) edu.

CALDWELL COUNTY, Mo. — One person died in in an accident just before 6:30p.m. Saturday in Caldwell County.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2018 Chrysler Pacifica driven by Caitlyn Galloway, 32, Overland Park, was eastbound in a driveway on private property on Southwest Ore Road eight miles east of Lathrop.

The vehicle struck 1-year-old Elijah J. Galloway of Overland Park. Caldwell County EMS transported the boy to Liberty Hospital where he died.

Authorities released no additional details late Saturday

SHAWNEE COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect on drug charges after a a tip from the public.

On Thursday, the Shawnee County Drug Enforcement Unit investigated information received on illegal drug activity at a residence in the 600 block of NE Twiss Avenue in Topeka, according to Lt. Shayna Anderson.

Drug Task Force Officers from the Sheriff’s Office and the Topeka Police Department executed a search warrant and discovered a marijuana grow operation, methamphetamine, firearms and drug paraphernalia.

They arrested 59-year-old  Timothy J. Kaberline and booked him into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on requested charges that include Possession with Intent to Distribute Controlled Substance, Unlawful Cultivation of a Controlled Substance, Possession of Drug Stimulant and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia.

The Shawnee County Drug Task Force continues to investigate this narcotics distribution operation. Kaberline has four previous convictions for driving under the influence, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.

SEDGWICK COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a burglary and have three suspects in custody.

Just after 1:30p.m. Thursday police responded to a burglary in progress call at a home in the 5200 Block of South Mount Carmel in Wichita, according to officer Charley Davidson.

When officers arrived, an 18-year-old resident told police when he arrived home, he heard individuals inside the residence. The teen exited the house, called police and then saw a suspect later identified as Alejandro Avalos, 18, Wichita, and two 14-year-olds run from the back of the residence with items from the home, according to Davidson.

Additional officers arriving located the suspects and arrested them without incident. Police also recovered two stolen handguns, electronics, clothing and alcohol, according to Davidson.

Avalos and the two 14-year-old are being held on requested charges of aggravated residential burglary and theft, according to Davidson.

KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — A 28-year-old man has been sentenced to life in prison for a double homicide in Kansas.

Jose Varela Jr. was given two life sentences for first-degree murder in the shooting deaths of Fabian Arriaga and Jose Morales.

The charges stemmed from a 2017 triple shooting in Kansas City, Kansas.

The Wyandotte County District Attorney’s Office says Varela must serve 25 years before he is eliglble for parole.

KANSAS CITY (AP) — The Kansas City Zoo is planning a $10 million renovation of its elephant exhibit.

The project announced this week will include easier access to the pool for the elephants, as well as adding shade and softer ground for the animals to walk on.

Zoo Director Randy Wisthoff says the renovations will also improve visitors’ views of the elephants, with additional seating and handicapped-accessible renovations.

The zoo is still waiting to announce final plans for a $75 million saltwater aquarium.

KCUR reports the delay is caused mostly by a $7 million contribution from Kansas City.

The city council directed City Manager Troy Schulte to try and find the money but a city spokesman said this week no funds have been identified to fulfill the request.

SHAWNEE COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating an armed robbery and have a suspect in custody.

Just after 7:30p.m.  Thursday, the Shawnee County Emergency Communications Center received
reports of an armed robbery that had just occurred at at the Ibannos Grill Food Truck at the intersection of SE 6th Ave. and SE Carnahan Ave. in Topeka, according to a media release.

Officers were able to identify one of the suspects as 29-year-old Javier A. Martinez.  They located him and made an arrest. Martinez is being held on requested charges that include aggravated robbery, aggravated assault and theft.

Officers are working to locate the second outstanding suspect.

HARVEY COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities and USD 440 officials are investigating an alleged school threat and have made an arrest.

Just after 2:30p.m. Friday, police learned of a potential threat at Halstead High School, according to a media release from Police Chief Josh Orem.

Authorities identified a suspect and took a juvenile into custody on suspicion of criminal threat. The situation appears to be an isolated incident, according to Orem and there is no additional threat to the school.

The police department commended USD 440 staff for their quick action in notifying law enforcement about the situation.

Police did not release additional details.

By CAROLYN THOMPSON, Associated Press

The company that administers the SAT college admissions test is replacing the so-called adversity score with a tool that will no longer reduce an applicant’s background to a single number, an idea the College Board’s chief executive now says was a mistake.

Amid growing scrutiny of the role wealth plays in college admissions, the College Board introduced its Environmental Context Dashboard about two years ago to provide context for a student’s performance on the test and help schools identify those who have done more with less.

The version used by about 50 institutions in a pilot program involved a formula that combined school and neighborhood factors like advanced course offerings and the crime rate to produce a single number.

But critics called it an overreach for the College Board to score adversity the way it does academics.

David Coleman, College Board’s chief executive, said some also wrongly worried the tool would alter the SAT results.

“The idea of a single score was wrong,” he said. “It was confusing and created the misperception that the indicators are specific to an individual student.”

The New York City-based College Board announced several changes to the tool Tuesday, including the decision to give students access to the information about their schools and neighborhood starting in the 2020-2021 school year.

Renamed “Landscape,” the revised tool will provide data points from government sources and the College Board that are seen as affecting education. They include whether the student’s school is rural, suburban or urban, the size of the school’s senior class, the percentage of students eligible for free- and reduced-price lunch, and participation and performance in college-level Advanced Placement courses at the school.

Admissions officers also will see a range of test scores at the school to show where the applicant’s falls, as well as information like the median family income, education levels and crime rates in the student’s neighborhood.

The tool’s creation was an acknowledgment of persistent criticism of the use of admissions tests in an era of concern with unequal access to advanced coursework and high-priced tutors that further advantage those with the means to access them.

This year’s “Varsity Blues” scandal , which exposed cases of affluent parents cheating the admissions system, has brought further scrutiny.

Colleges and universities have for several years been acting on the concerns, with an increasing number no longer demanding SAT or rival ACT scores from applicants. More than 1,000 schools, including elite liberal arts colleges, as well as research universities and for-profit schools, are test-optional, according to the nonprofit group FairTest, which argues standardized tests are biased against minority groups.

Yale University piloted the Environmental Context Dashboard, and admissions dean Jeremiah Quinlan said it’s a consistent way to see information that its admissions officers have always considered when culling through an application pool of 38,000.

Just over 1,500 students recently arrived for their first year, more than 20% of them eligible for income-based federal Pell Grants, he said. That compares with about 16% before the dashboard and 12% six years ago.

“It helps us identify students who have excelled in their context in a more clear and convincing way than we ever could have in the past,” said Quinlan, dean of undergraduate admissions and financial aid.

Eddie Comeaux, vice chair of the University of California’s Board of Admissions and Relations with Schools, said the improved clarity and transparency of Landscape addressed some of his initial concerns.

He still worries, though, about potential implicit bias among admissions officers, a problem that predates the context tool and is a focus of his work on the board, which regulates admissions practices.

“We want to look at implicit bias training and the ways in which certain indicators might signal a way in which (application) readers advantage or disadvantage certain applications and consciously or unconsciously not be aware of it,” he said.

“I’m less concerned about Landscape,” he said, “than I am about those who are making the decisions utilizing Landscape.”

Between 100 and 150 institutions are expected to pilot the new tool this year before it becomes broadly available next year.

DENVER (AP) — A part-time county judge in Colorado has been arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence in Kansas.

Baca County Judge Debra Gunkel was arrested outside Tribune, Kansas, on Aug. 17. Greeley County, Kansas, prosecutor Charles Moser said no decision has been made on filing charges.

No phone number could be found for Gunkel. The newspaper says her attorney didn’t return a phone call or email.

Court records show Gunkel pleaded guilty in October to driving under the influence in Colorado and was given a deferred sentence, meaning that case could be dismissed if she doesn’t commit another crime for two years and completed other requirements.

Colorado courts spokesman Rob McCallum says officials are awaiting the outcome of the Kansas case before before taking any action.

SEDGWICK COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect after a wild ride observed by police.

Just after 9:30p.m. Thursday, police observed two motorcycles traveling at speeds over 100 miles per hour in the 5400 Block of East Kellogg, according to officer Charley Davidson.

Due to the speed, police were unable to catch them. One rider later identified as Dylan Garcia, 21, Derby, was seen exiting and came to a stop at the intersection of Washington and Lewis, according to Davidson.  Police caught him there and made an arrest.

Garcia was jailed on requested charges of speeding, evade and elude, reckless driving and driving under the influence, according to Davidson.

The case remains under investigation and will be presented to the city prosecutor’s office.