WICHITA (AP) — Wichita police say they arrested two 19-year-old men and are searching for a third man after the robbery of a woman who was unconscious after falling ill at a fast-food restaurant.

Danielle Zimmerman died after she suffered a brain aneurysm Dec. 29 at a Wichita Taco Bell and her car crashed into a speaker in the drive-through lane. Before emergency help arrived, someone stole her purse, credit cards, telephone and wedding ring.

Capt. Brent Allred said Monday that the men were arrested Friday night after police received an anonymous tip. They have not yet been charged.

Some of Zimmerman’s missing property has been recovered but her wedding ring is still missing.

LAWRENCE (AP) — A former Kansas secretary of agriculture says water supply issues and the depletion of the Ogallala aquifer aren’t just a western Kansas problem.

Former secretary Josh Svaty told environmentalists with the group Lawrence Ecology Teams United for Sustainability on Sunday that the agriculture economy in western Kansas flows toward the eastern part of state.

The Lawrence Journal-World reports roughly 90 percent of the water pumped out of the Ogallala is used for irrigation to grow corn, soybeans and milo, which is used to feed livestock. Svaty says the livestock industry also has a big presence around the Kansas City and Johnson County areas in eastern Kansas.

He says water levels in some parts of western Kansas have declined rapidly since large-scale irrigation began there in the 1970s.

By TODD FERTIG
Kansas Department of Corrections

Bag it, bow it, tag it. Bag it, bow it, tag it. That’s what students in the Kansas Correctional Industries’ Dental Lab at the Topeka Correctional Facility (TCF) do roughly 2,000 times each year during the spare minutes that intersperse their regular work of making dentures for patients of the KAMU safety net clinics scattered across Kansas.

The students are bagging, bowing and tagging dental gift bags.  The tags convey best wishes for happy holidays from both the TCF Dental Lab and the Delta Dental of Kansas Foundation, and each bag contains a toothbrush, tooth paste and floss generously provided by the Delta Dental of Kansas Foundation.  The gift bags are given at no charge to the Topeka Moving Ahead Program and the YWCA Center for Safety and Empowerment for distribution, as well as to all the inmates of TCF.  While most of us don’t think of a toothbrush and toothpaste as a gift, many recipients do. For a few of them, it will be the only gift they receive during the holidays.

“We so appreciate the support of the Delta Dental of Kansas Foundation and the Topeka Correctional Facility for this project.  The donated dental supplies mean one less thing survivors of abuse have to worry about as they work to increase their safety,” said Laura Burton of the YWCA.

Lea Vincent, of the Topeka Moving Ahead Program, said, “Our participants usually come to us with low self-esteem. We do everything we can to build it back up, and these oral hygiene kits help increase their confidence level.  We really appreciate the Delta Dental of Kansas Foundation and the Topeka Correctional Facility’s Dental Lab providing this incredible resource for them!”

“These women are having a personal impact on many lives one smile at a time,” said Gloria Geither, mentoring director for the Kansas Department of Corrections. “Thanks to the generosity of the Delta Dental of Kansas Foundation, these female offenders are improving the oral health of Kansans, while learning important skills to help them succeed when they are released.”

According to Hope Cooper, TCF warden, “The TCF Dental Lab Holiday Gift Bag program is such a great example of the goodness that emanates from the lab.  The ability for the students to give a gift to the population at TCF makes the students feel good, and it is impactful to the population here.  Not only do the inmates get a gift of health, but, sometimes, that is the only gift they get. Our thanks go to the Delta Dental of Kansas Foundation for making this program possible.”

“We are pleased to provide the items for the gift bags and are appreciative of the time the dental lab students spend each year putting the bags together,” said Karen Finstad, executive director of the Delta Dental of Kansas Foundation. “Through this program recipients are able to maintain and improve their oral health, which is so important to their overall well-being.”

The Dental Technician Program at the Topeka Correctional Facility is designed to provide female inmates with education and hands-on experience in the art and science of denture-making, in order to better support themselves and their families upon release.  The dentures they create benefit the medically-underserved of Kansas.

TOPEKA – Kansas Department for Children and Families (DCF) Secretary Phyllis Gilmore announced today the addition of a new deputy secretary.

Chuck Knapp will lead the division of Operations and the newly-created division of Public Affairs.

Knapp most recently served the State of Kansas as Director of Operations and Public Affairs for the Department of Administration. He earlier worked as Communications Director and Senior Assistant for former U.S. Rep. Todd Tiahrt (R-Goddard).

In his new role as deputy secretary, Knapp will provide oversight of DCF’s divisions that include Budget, Grants and Contracts, Property Management, Office of Information Technology Services, Communications, and Legislation/Policy.

Knapp is replacing Greg Harris who served as DCF Deputy Secretary of Operations from January 2011 until December 2013. Harris resigned last month to accept a position with a non-profit organization in Virginia.

Given Knapp’s strong background, Secretary Gilmore added the newly-created division area of Public Affairs to Knapp’s duties. Public Affairs encompasses Communications and Legislation/Policy.

“His leadership in both Operations and Public Affairs will help DCF better serve families and children in Kansas,” Secretary Gilmore said in a news release. “I look forward to working with him to improve efficiencies in the Department and to help us promote the many wonderful things DCF is doing to help people in need.”

Knapp is an Augusta native and a University of Kansas graduate. He and his wife Chelle have four children.

Kansas Department of Transportation

In the past year there were fewer deaths on Kansas roads that in any other year since KDOT began keeping records. In 2013, according to preliminary, unofficial reports there were 344 fatalities, compared to 405 in 2012.

“One fatality is one too many, and we are going to work hard to have this number decrease in 2014,” said Kansas Secretary of Transportation Mike King. “In Kansas, we strongly emphasize safety in the engineering of our highways and that’s an important component to keeping travelers safe.”

The previous low was 385 fatalities in 2008 — the high was in 1969 when 780 people died. KDOT started keeping records in 1947.

“Strategic investment in infrastructure, improvement in our seat belt rate, committed law enforcement and emergency responders, good laws and safer vehicles have all played into this dramatic reduction in fatalities,” said Steven Buckley, KDOT safety engineer. “While KDOT is committed to improving our roadway system, we still must rely on drivers to do their part by eliminating distractions, never driving drunk and wearing a seat belt, every trip, every time.

“We are encouraged by this record-setting year, but that is no consolation for the family and friends of the 344 persons lost in traffic crashes,” Buckley said. “The challenge to engineers, law enforcement, emergency responders, advocates, and especially drivers for 2014 is to continue the downward trend.”