WICHITA – The remains of fallen soldier John Dean Armstrong, a Navy pilot who died in a training accident in 1941 arrived back in Kansas Thursday.
The remains were recently identified, and his nieces have been working to bring him home where he will be laid to rest with full-military honors at Fairlawn Burial Park in his hometown of Hutchinson on Saturday.
NORRISTOWN, Pa. (AP) — The Latest on Bill Cosby’s sexual assault trial (all times local):
Bill Cosby’s trial on sexual assault charges has ended without a verdict after jurors failed to break a deadlock.
Jurors deliberated more than 52 hours over six days before telling a judge they couldn’t reach a unanimous decision on whether “The Cosby Show” star drugged and molested Temple University employee Andrea Constand at his suburban Philadelphia home in 2004.
The judge then declared a mistrial for the 79-year-old comedian.
Thank you to all of my fans and supporters — here in Norristown and worldwide. pic.twitter.com/SlosGdEhyq
— Bill Cosby (@BillCosby) June 16, 2017
Cosby was charged with three counts of aggravated indecent assault.
His lawyer says Cosby and Constand were lovers sharing a consensual sexual encounter.
Dozens of women have come forward to say he had drugged and assaulted them. This was the only case to result in criminal charges against Cosby.
To my supporters and fans in Norristown, Thank you. pic.twitter.com/qgAUlM9k8r
— Bill Cosby (@BillCosby) June 17, 2017
Prosecutors get four months to decide whether they want to retry Cosby or drop the charges.
SALINA, Kan. (AP) — The company that owns a Salina manufacturing plant where a chemical incident prompted an evacuation says no chemicals leaked or spilled.
Homes and businesses within a half-mile of the McShares Inc. plant were evacuated for about two hours Friday afternoon. No injuries were reported.
McShares said in a statement the evacuations of its Research Products plant and surrounding areas were strictly precautionary. It continues to investigate the incident.
Salina Fire Marshal Roger Williams said a tank that was about one-quarter full of benzoyl peroxide heated up, creating a plume that vented out of the smoke stack at Research Products, a division of McShares.
The plant makes food additives and mixes of vitamins and minerals that are added to wheat, rice and corn flours and cereals.
SALINA, Kan. (AP) — The company that owns a Salina manufacturing plant where a chemical incident prompted an evacuation says no chemicals leaked or spilled.
Homes and businesses within a half-mile of the McShares Inc. plant were evacuated for about two hours Friday afternoon. No injuries were reported.
McShares said in a statement the evacuations of its Research Products plant and surrounding areas were strictly precautionary. It continues to investigate the incident.
Salina Fire Marshal Roger Williams said a tank that was about one-quarter full of benzoyl peroxide heated up, creating a plume that vented out of the smoke stack at Research Products, a division of McShares.
The plant makes food additives and mixes of vitamins and minerals that are added to wheat, rice and corn flours and cereals.
SALINE COUNTY-Emergency Management officials have allowed residents are to return to their homes and businesses following a bad chemical reaction at McShares Inc., located at 1835 E. North Street in Salina.
Just after 3p.m., a bad chemical reaction occurred when the facility was mixing Hydrogen Peroxide, Benzoyl Chloride, and Azelaic Acid, according to Hannah Stambaugh, Saline County Emergency Management Director.
The reaction caused a gas cloud that forced the evacuation of the plant as well as residents and businesses within a half mile radius of the facility.
First responders were still on scene just after 6p.m., concluding their operations, according to Stambaugh.
Residents were still being asked to stay clear the facility.
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SALINE COUNTY -First responders are currently working an incident that involved a bad chemical reaction at McShares, 1835 E. North Street in Salina, according to a social media report from the city.
Officials are asking locations within a one half mile radius to evacuate the area until the incident can be contained.
Road closures currently include Old Highway 40 and N. Marymount Road and E. North St. at Ohio
McShares works to provide millers and bakers the key ingredients they need to make the most nutritional grains possible, according to the company web site.
By JIM MCLEAN
Given all the controversy about KanCare – Kansas’ privatized Medicaid program – it would be reasonable to expect big crowds at public hearings about renewing the program.
But that wasn’t the case Wednesday when relative handfuls of health care providers and consumers turned out in Topeka for the first in a series of forums scheduled across the state.
The sparse turnout disappointed state officials and legislators who attended.
Rep. Brenda Dietrich, a Topeka Republican who attended an afternoon session for providers and another in the evening for consumers, said officials at the state agencies organizing the forums need to do more to publicize remaining meetings, which are scheduled through the end of the month.
“I didn’t see it in the newspaper, and I’m a Topeka resident,” Dietrich said. “The only reason I found out about it was one of the lobbyists for individuals with disabilities sent me information about it.”
State officials are conducting the meetings to gather input to help them finalize the blueprint for what they’re calling KanCare 2.0 — the next phase of the program.
“The purpose (of the forums) is to hear back from the beneficiaries who are receiving services and the providers who are providing services in KanCare to make sure that we can make it the best possible program for the people we serve,” said Susan Mosier, secretary of the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, the state’s lead Medicaid agency.
Republican Gov. Sam Brownback launched KanCare in January 2013, contracting with three private, for-profit insurance companies to manage the care provided to Kansans in Medicaid.
Currently the program serves about 440,000 Kansans, mostly children in low-income families, people with disabilities and low-income elderly Kansans who need nursing home care.
Since the switch to managed care, there have been ongoing complaints from doctors, hospitals and other providers about increased red tape and payment delays. Consumers, particularly those with developmental and physical disabilities, also have raised concerns about reductions in service.
Weary of complaints from constituents, the Legislature passed a bill this session requiring the state and the three insurance companies to step up their efforts to make the program more efficient. The bill also established a process aimed at more quickly resolving treatment and payment disputes.
The problems cited by providers and consumers, exacerbated by a cut in provider reimbursement rates, prompted the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to deny a state request to extend KanCare by one year to provide more time to finalize plans for the next iteration of the program.
That decision, made in January by outgoing officials in the Obama administration, was reversed in May by Trump administration officials, but only after the state implemented a corrective action plan.
Despite those problems, Mosier said KanCare has slowed the growth in Medicaid costs by more than $1 billion and, according to a recent independent review, improved the health of Kansans served by the program.
“We are continuing to progress and improve in multiple areas,” Mosier said.
Rep. Dennis “Boog” Highberger, a Lawrence Democrat, attended one of the Topeka forums because he remains concerned about KanCare. He said the private companies operating the program have a financial incentive to deny care.
“They get a fixed payment, so the less they can spend providing services the more can go to shareholders,” Highberger said.
Despite his concerns, Highberger said he hopes that the public feedback provided at upcoming forums helps state officials improve the program going forward.
Jim McLean is managing director of the Kansas News Service, a collaboration of kcur.org, Kansas Public Radio and KMUW covering health, education and politics. You can reach him on Twitter @jmcleanks.
DCF
TOPEKA – Abuse of adults may take on numerous forms, including physical, emotional or sexual abuse, self-neglect or neglect by a caregiver and financial exploitation. Community providers, State agency representatives and Dr. Terry L. Koenig, Associate Professor at the Kansas University School of Social Welfare, collaborated in a panel on Thursday afternoon, in Topeka, to discuss hoarding. Hoarding is an issue that affects many vulnerable adults and can have serious consequences.
Gathered at the Topeka & Shawnee County Public Library, Dr. Koenig, presented on Hoarding and Nonvoluntary Clients: Team interventions, a Political Approach and Beyond. Koenig was joined by Valeo Behavior Health Outpatient Psychotherapy Service Manager Donna Park, Adult Protective Services Social Worker Rose Roberts, Owner of Jen’s House Cleaning Service Jen Hopper and Property Maintenance Manager Mike Haugen to bring light to the issue, as well as to the State’s efforts to combat it.
Adult Protective Services Program Manager Leslie Hale provided an overview of how the Kansas Department for Children and Families (DCF) addresses reports of adult abuse.
“When we get a report that an adult has been abused, neglected or exploited, we have a social worker go out and visit with the adult in their home, assess the situation and make sure they are safe see what’s going on and whether they are being abused,” Hale said. “If so, we come up with some sort of plan or intervention to make sure that person is safe from further harm.”
Adult abuse affects individuals 18 and older who are unable to protect themselves. This includes older adults and persons with disabilities.
Governor Sam Brownback declared June Adult Abuse Awareness Month, and DCF asked its staff and participants of the event to wear purple as a show of solidarity behind vulnerable adults.
During the current fiscal year, the DCF Adult Protective Services (APS) hotline has received approximately 16,000 calls regarding abuse and neglect of this vulnerable population. The agency helps protect older adults from being taken advantage of, as well as to ensure they are taking care of themselves.
The state of Kansas takes seriously this issue. Since FY2011, DCF has added Adult Protective Specialist positions to the Adult Protective Services program. It has increased training and outreach efforts and is now better equipped to serve vulnerable adults.
Since 2011, DCF and other state agencies, community providers and advocates have played an active role in positive change by serving on the APS Advisory Committee. They provided direction on a strategic plan to combat adult abuse. The plan includes six goals, including improving services, increasing staff knowledge, improving tracking and monitoring through data sharing and more.
Koenig said that hoarding is a relevant topic because a significant amount of adults suffer from it and it remains largely untreated.
“Surprisingly enough, about 1 to 2 percent of adults are involved in some sort of hoarding behavior,” said Dr. Koenig. “It is often viewed as a hidden problem and sensationalized, when in reality, lots of people struggle with this issue, so this is something that has just gone unnoticed and unacknowledged as something worth treating. In caring about people we ought to care about that issue also.”
Kansans can report abuse by calling the DCF Kansas Protection Report Center, which is available 24 hours per day, seven days a week, at 800-922-5330. Another option would to submit a report online at www.dcf.ks.gov/services/pps/Pages/KIPS/KIPSWebintake.aspx.
OLATHE, Kan. (AP) — A former in-home caregiver has been sentenced to two years in prison for abusing a developmentally disabled man.
The Kansas City Star reports 32-year-old April Dawn Reno, of Lawrence, was sentenced Thursday in Johnson County District Court.
She pleaded no contest in April to aggravated battery.
Court documents indicate the abuse of the man from Lenexa occurred in June 2015.
Reno was initially charged with mistreatment of a dependent adult after bruises were found on the man’s body during a doctor’s visit.
The victim, who is in his 50s, was described in court as having limited ability to communicate and requiring full-time care.
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — An 82-year-old Texas woman who got into a scuffle with a Wichita airport security agent will not face charges.
Wichita City Attorney Jennifer Magana said the case against Lila Bryan was dismissed Friday at the request of the security agent.
Bryan, of Mesquite, Texas, was cited by police May 31 for misdemeanor battery after she hit a Transportation Security Administration agent at Wichita’s Dwight Eisenhower Airport. The TSA said Bryan became upset after the agent tried to confiscate a bottle of foaming hand gel that was too large to carry on the plane.
She was arrested, photographed and fingerprinted before being freed.
Bryan told The Associated Press after her arrest that she was exhausted and had forgotten to take her medication before the confrontation.
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas officials say the state mental hospital in eastern Kansas failed to regain federal recertification after a survey in May.
That means the state will continue to lose up to $1 million a month in federal funds being withheld because the hospital doesn’t meet federal standards.
The government revoked Osawatomie State Hospital’s certification in December 2015, citing safety and patient care issues.
Department for Aging and Disabilities Services officials said Friday they were nevertheless encouraged because the surveyors didn’t cite the hospital for the same issues that cost it certification. Instead, many of the issues dealt with the hospital’s kitchen.
The Associated Press obtained the information exclusively during a briefing Friday. KDADS Secretary Tim Keck said he expects the hospital to undergo at least two more surveys to get recertified.
TOPEKA – (June 16, 2017) – A lawsuit filed by Kansas and 25 other states led to the Trump administration’s action yesterday to rescind an Obama executive action on illegal immigration, Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt said today.
In a filing Thursday in federal district court in Texas, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced that it is rescinding the Obama Administration’s November 20, 2014, memorandum that ordered relaxed enforcement of immigration laws against certain categories of illegal immigrants. That memorandum, commonly known as President Obama’s “executive action” on immigration, had never entered into effect because it was immediately challenged by 26 states, including Kansas, and was blocked by a federal court injunction.
In its filing yesterday, the Department of Homeland Security set out the history of that litigation. Homeland Security Secretary John F. Kelly wrote that he decided to withdraw the Obama policy after considering “a number of factors, including the preliminary injunction in this matter, the ongoing litigation, the fact that [the Obama memorandum] never took effect, and our new immigration enforcement priorities.”
Schmidt said yesterday’s action was a direct result of the successful litigation filed by the states that challenged President Obama’s legal authority in this matter.
“Yesterday’s decision by the federal government to drop its illegal effort to rewrite immigration law by executive action is a victory for the rule of law in our country,” Schmidt said. “If changes are to be made to federal immigration law, those changes must come from the people’s elected representatives in Congress, not from a president and federal agencies disregarding the written law to act as they prefer. There is no shortcut or substitute for the Constitution’s lawmaking process.”
In its filing yesterday with the court, the Department of Homeland Security requested additional time to consult with the states about disposition of the lawsuit. Schmidt said he is hopeful that withdrawal of the illegal federal immigration policy will allow swift resolution of the remaining issues in the pending lawsuit. The states filed their lawsuit in December 2014 and obtained the preliminary injunction in February 2015. That injunction eventually was affirmed by the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals and was left intact by the U.S. Supreme Court.
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — General Motors has sparked concern about layoffs after announcing plans to eliminate one shift at its plant in Kansas City, Kansas.
GM pokeswoman Mary Padilla tells the Kansas City Star that the company will reduce the number of production shifts at its Fairfax Assembly Plant from three to two beginning in late September.
She didn’t know the exact number of layoffs expected. The plant currently has more than 3,000 employees.
Padilla says the decision is due to declining market demand for mid-sized cars. She says the market is favoring crossovers and trucks over passenger cars.
The announcement came two days after GM made public that the plant would extend its summer shutdown from two weeks to five because of decreased sales of the Chevrolet Malibu, built at the plant.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Latest on President Donald Trump’s new Cuba policy (all times local):
2:40 p.m.
Sen. Jerry Moran, a Kansas Republican, says President Donald Trump’s new Cuba policy closes off a potentially lucrative market for American farmers.
In a statement Friday, Moran says “putting America first means exporting what we produce to countries across the globe.” He says he remains focused on finding ways to “increase trade with Cuba rather than cut off relationships that have the potential to create new jobs, bring in revenue and boost our national economy.”
Full statement on the President’s #Cuba policy: pic.twitter.com/bbEnzcX6k3
— Jerry Moran (@JerryMoran) June 16, 2017
Kansas has almost 46 million acres devoted to farm operations and Moran has backed legislation to restore trade with Cuba. He’s also a co-sponsor of legislation that would eliminate restrictions on travel to Cuba by American citizens and legal residents.
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2:10 p.m.
President Donald Trump has demanded that Cuba return a woman convicted in the murder of a New Jersey state trooper.
Trump made the demand for the return of Joanne Chesimard while announcing changes to Obama-era Cuba policy in Miami Friday.
Chesimard was convicted in 1977 in the death of Trooper Werner Foerster. He was killed during a gunfight after a traffic stop on the New Jersey Turnpike in 1973.
Chesimard was sentenced to life in prison but escaped in November 1979 and eventually traveled to Cuba. Fidel Castro granted her asylum and she has been living under the name Assata Shakur.
Republican Gov. Chris Christie has urged the Trump administration to make Chesimard’s return to the United States part of any change in Cuba policy.
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2:15 p.m.
President Donald Trump has announced a series of changes to the Obama-era Cuba policy and is challenging the Cuban government to negotiate a better deal.
Trump says in a speech in Miami that the U.S. will not lift sanctions on Cuba until it releases all political prisoners and respects the Cuban people’s right to freedom of assembly and expression.
Trump is also calling for the legalization of all political parties, and free and internationally supervised elections.
The president says his new policy will also restrict the flow of American dollars to the military, security and intelligence services that are the core of the government led by Raul Castro.
He has challenged Cuba to “come to the table” to strike a deal that serves both country’s interests.
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1:49 p.m.
Sen. Jeff Flake is criticizing President Donald Trump’s new policy on Cuba.
The Arizona Republican says any policy change “that diminishes the ability of Americans to travel freely to Cuba is not in the best interests of the United States or the Cuban people.”
Flake, a frequent critic of Trump during the presidential campaign, has been among the most outspoken lawmakers opposed to rolling back the Obama-era detente with Havana. Flake has warned that returning to a “get tough” policy that isolates the island would hurt everyday Cubans whose livelihoods are increasingly rooted in travel and tourism.
He’s calling on the Senate’s GOP leadership to allow a vote on his legislation that would eliminate restrictions on travel to Cuba by American citizens and legal residents. The bill has 54 co-sponsors.
11:50 a.m.
President Donald Trump says his administration’s new policy on Cuba aims to “empower” the citizens of that country.
The president tweeted while en route to Miami, where he’ll announce his plans for halting the flow of U.S. cash to Cuba’s military and security services while maintaining diplomatic relations.
The tweet reads, “Headed to Miami to announce new U.S. policy on Cuba. We are going to empower the Cuban people and hold the regime accountable!”
The new policy is only a partial reversal from that of the Obama administration.
But they will burden the U.S. government with the complicated task of policing Americans’ travel to Cuba to make sure there are no transactions with the military-linked conglomerate that runs much of the Cuban economy.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Department of Agriculture has granted an extension of the emergency grazing on CRP lands through September 30 for areas of Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas impacted by recent wildfires.
This letter from Secretary Perdue comes in response to a letter sent by Congressmen Marshall, Thornberry and Lucas to the USDA requesting an extension of the authorized emergency grazing on CRP lands located in Kansas, Texas, and Oklahoma.
@RogerMarshallMD @MacTXPress @RepFrankLucas ask & receive extension for CRP emergency grazing from USDA https://t.co/aezKe0WSSF #beef pic.twitter.com/nb2VcO5vcA
— AgView (@agviewnews) June 16, 2017
“I want to thank Secretary Perdue and the USDA for responding to the needs of cattle producers across the wildfire-damaged area,” Congressman Roger Marshall, M.D., said. “This extension should give grass additional time to recover and producers additional time to rebuild fences and other facilities destroyed by the fire. I appreciate the Secretary and USDA utilizing the flexibility they have to help restore these hard-working Kansans.”
“I’ve lived all my life in Northwest Oklahoma, but I have never seen anything of the magnitude of these fires,” Congressman Frank Lucas said. “USDA’s 90 day extension of emergency grazing on CRP acres will no doubt help ease the burden for farmers and ranchers in our part of the country by providing them with additional flexibility while forage is reestablished and fencing is rebuilt. I thank Secretary Perdue for working with us on this critical matter to help support producers impacted by these devastating wildfires.”
HARVEY COUNTY – Law enforcement authorities have identified a woman who died in a car on Interstate 135 on Monday as Courtney Kloster, 34, Newton, according to a media release.
Just after 2p.m. Wednesday, authorities found a body inside a vehicle at the Northbound Interstate 135 rest area south of Newton, according to the Harvey County Sheriff’s Department.
Officials do not suspect any foul play in her death, according to the sheriff’s department.
Funeral services for Kloster are scheduled on Monday in Newton.
