Gov. Jeff Colyer MD has issued a state of disaster emergency declaration for five Kansas counties affected by flooding over the weekend. Named in the declaration are Jewell, Kingman, Marshall, Pratt, and Riley Counties.
Damages in these counties included washed out roads, bridges, culverts and flooding to some businesses and residential properties.
“Here in Kansas we make it a priority to take care of our neighbors,” said Colyer. “Those impacted by the recent flooding have our full support and we will continue to do whatever is needed to help during this time of emergency.”
The state declaration may be amended to include any additional counties that declare due to flooding as damage assessments are conducted. The declaration authorizes the use of state resources and personnel to assist with response and recovery operations in affected counties that meet certain criteria.
PRATT – The Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism (KDWPT) operations office in Pratt will be closed Tuesday, September 4, 2018, due to flooding in Pratt County. The office will remain closed until further notice. It is located on S.E 25th Avenue about one mile east of Pratt, along the Ninnescah River.
As of 4:00 p.m.Monday, portions of the lower level of the building had up to three inches of standing water. In addition, the sewer and water supply for the building may have been compromised.
Customers can obtain licenses and permits and state park reservations online at ksoutdoors.com. Other KDWPT regional and district offices will also be open for business to help with questions. To locate a KDWPT office, go to https://ksoutdoors.com/KDWPT-Info/Locations.
TOPEKA – Officials with the Kansas Departments of Wildlife, Parks, and Tourism (KDWPT) and Health and Environment (KDHE) want dog owners to be aware how dangerous harmful algae blooms (HABs) can be to their dogs.
A HAB is an abnormally high population of blue-green algae in a body of water. Whether you hunt with your dog near water or just take it out for a walk, there are things you can do to protect your four-legged partner.
HABs can occur in lakes, ponds, wetlands, creeks or drainage areas, generally coinciding with warm water temperatures and often flourishing in nutrient-laden waters.
Dogs can become seriously ill or die if they swim in, drink or retrieve a bird from water affected by a HAB.
They can even be sickened if they lick their fur after exposure or eat dried algae along the shore or floating in the water.
A HAB may look like foam, scum or paint floating on the water and be colored blue, bright green, brown or red.
There may also be a very strong musty odor or the smell of sewage or petroleum.
This season, if the water appears or smells suspicious or if there are decaying algae on the shore, do not let your furry friend drink, swim or retrieve birds in the water.
Blue-green algae are really a type of bacteria called “cyanobacteria,” which occurs naturally in all waters around the globe.
Under the right conditions, the algae can rapidly increase (bloom) and produce toxins. Although HABs typically begin in May, they can occur through October or later.
Algae can wash up on shorelines and in marshy areas and even after they are dead and dry, toxins that were produced can persist for long periods.
Dogs will still be at risk if they drink the HAB-affected water, walk on, roll in, eat decaying algae along the shore or retrieve a bird with algae on its feathers.
Just a small amount of blue-green algae can sicken or kill a dog.
The signs of illness in dogs usually occur within 30 minutes of exposure and include vomiting, diarrhea, lethargy, convulsions, difficulty breathing and general weakness.
If you suspect your dog has ingested algae or has any of these symptoms, contact your veterinarian immediately.
People may also become ill after contact with algae-produced toxins. Symptoms vary, depending upon the type of exposure (e.g. direct contact, ingestion, inhalation) but can include rash, vomiting, diarrhea, fever, sore throat, and headache.
If you or your dog come into contact with algae, immediately rinse the contact area with clean, fresh water. If you or your dog show signs of illness, call your physician or veterinarian.
KDWPT and KDHE offer the following tips to help prevent HAB poisoning in dogs:
· Carry potable water for yourself and your dog when hunting or going for walks along the shore.
· Train dogs to come to you for a drink of water.
· Rinse off your dog with potable water as quickly as possible if your dog swims in a HAB or walks through dried algae.
· Do not let dogs eat dried algae along the shoreline. A bluish color along the shore indicates dying, toxic blue-green algae.
· Do not let your dog lick their paws if they have walked through dried algae and remember that waterfowl in HAB-affected water may have toxic cells on their feathers.
KDHE samples publicly-accessible bodies of water for blue-green algae when the agency is alerted to a potential HAB.
When a HAB occurs, KDHE, in cooperation with KDWPT and other lake managers where appropriate, responds by informing the public of these conditions.
KDHE does not sample private bodies of water such as farm ponds or livestock watering tanks but has recommendations on what to look for, how to field test and who to contact for additional assistance on KDHE’s HAB website.
For the most up-to-date list of waters currently affected by HABs, or to report a suspected HAB not currently listed, visit www.kdheks.gov/algae-illness. Hunters and the public can also get current HAB-related lake conditions by calling 1-855-HAB-LAKE (1-855-422-5253).
Increase in Questions about Bats and Rabies, State Agencies Offer Guidance
Safety tips provided for coming in contact with bats and other animals
TOPEKA – The Kansas Departments of Health and Environment (KDHE) and Wildlife, Parks, and Tourism (KDWPT) have had an increase in the number of calls recently from residents who have questions about bats in their homes. Experts from the State agencies encourage Kansans to be aware of the rabies risk associated with exposure to bats.
“Although only 3 percent of about 1,000 bats tested over the last five years were positive for rabies in Kansas, they remain an important cause of human rabies cases in the United States,” said Dr. Ingrid Garrison, State Public Health Veterinarian at KDHE. “Contact with bats is a concern because their teeth are so tiny that a bite may not be felt or even leave a noticeable mark. That is why it is important to speak with someone who can evaluate your situation for potential exposure to rabies,” said Dr. Garrison.
Rabies is a fatal viral disease in mammals, including people. Infection with the rabies virus can occur from a bite by a rabid animal or when saliva from a rabid animal comes into contact with the eyes, inside the mouth, or a fresh, open wound. In Kansas, skunks are the animal that most commonly tests positive for rabies.
“We see an increase in bat activity, usually in July and August, as baby bats learn to fly,” said Samantha Pounds, an ecologist with KDWPT. “Of the more than 1,000 species of bats around the world, 15 have been found in Kansas. Bats play a vital role in the Kansas ecosystem by consuming millions of insects each year, including agricultural pests and mosquitoes. They can eat one-half of their body weight in insects each night. However, some bats may also be infected with rabies. We want people to be aware of bats, but not afraid of them,” said Pounds.
It is best to exclude bats from your home in the early spring or fall when they are not roosting (giving birth and raising young). Young bats that are not able to fly can get trapped inside, which can lead to an upset mother bat or foul-smelling dead bat. Bats often enter homes through unsealed cracks, gaps or small holes, so filling in these entry points is one way to keep bats out of a home. Another method is to use an exclusion tube or small piece of mesh to create a one-way exit for bats living in an attic. Professional help to exclude or capture bats may be available in your area.
KDHE asks that you call your health care provider or local health department if you have had any contact with a bat if a bat is found in the room of a sleeping person, unattended child, or anyone who is unable to tell you about the encounter. If possible, the bat should be captured safely and not released. Tips for safely capturing a bat can be found on the Bat Conservation International website at www.batcon.org. If the bat is not available for rabies testing, the person who was exposed to the bat should seek medical care and receive rabies prevention shots.
KDHE and KDWPT offer the following tips about bats and other animals regarding rabies for your safety:
If you wake up in a room with a bat present, regardless if there is evidence of a bite or scratch, seek advice from your health care provider or local health department. If possible, trap the bat for testing. Do not release the bat.
If bitten by any animal, seek medical attention and report the bite to your local health department or animal control department immediately.
If your animal is bitten, contact your veterinarian for advice.
Do not handle or feed wild animals. Never adopt wild animals or bring them into your home; it is both unsafe and illegal.
Do not try to nurse sick or injured wild animals back to health. Call animal control or an animal rescue agency for assistance.
Teach children to never handle unfamiliar animals, wild or domestic, even if they appear friendly.
Have your veterinarian vaccinate all dogs, cats, ferrets, horses and valuable livestock (cattle and sheep) against rabies.
TOPEKA – A federal court in Texas ruled yesterday that money collected as part of Obamacare, known as the Health Insurance Provider fee, be returned to the states by the Federal government. Kansas and five other states were part of this legal action, in which $142-million was ordered to be returned to the state of Kansas.
“This is just another example of the monumental failure of Obamacare and the expensive toll it has taken on our state,” said Governor Jeff Colyer, “This fee has been illegally collected for far too long, and I am grateful to Attorney General Derek Schmidt for going to bat for Kansas and ensuring that a legal remedy was made for returning millions of dollars that should have never been taken from taxpayers in the first place.”
Attorney General Schmidt said in a statement earlier today that an appeal is likely, so the funds should not be counted just yet, but he feels confident in the strength of the case should it be appealed.
Nominations Now Being Accepted for Kansas Health Champion Awards
Exceptional efforts to promote health and fitness in Kansas to be recognized
TOPEKA – The Governor’s Council on Fitness is now accepting nominations for its annual Kansas Health Champion Awards. Awards are given to individuals and organizations that make an exceptional effort to model, encourage and promote health and fitness in Kansas. Award recipients will be recognized at the Community Health Promotion Summit on Jan. 24, in Manhattan, Kan. The deadline for nominations is Sept. 30.
“The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) is proud to partner in this important initiative to improve the health and wellness of Kansans,” said KDHE State Health Officer, Dr. Greg Lakin. “Many people and organizations throughout the state have made healthy living a priority, and it’s important that we recognize their efforts that impact others”.
Nominees would be expected to have demonstrated:
Work that goes above and beyond what is expected to model, encourage and promote fitness
Far-reaching impact
Sustainable influence or activity
“In addition to promoting effective models for increasing physical activity, nutrition and tobacco-free living for replication by organizations and communities around the state, the awards also allow us the opportunity to honor the outstanding work of one individual and one organization this year,” said Marlou Wegener, Manager of Community Relations, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas.
Eligible nominees might include an outstanding volunteer, a school, a local community, a newspaper or individual reporter, a local or State policy maker, or an employer, among others.
For more information and to submit a nomination, go to getactivekansas.org, and click on the nomination form link. If you have questions about the nomination process, contact Jennifer Church at 785-296-6801.
The Governor’s Council on Fitness advises the Governor and others on ways to enhance the health of all Kansans through promotion of physical activity, good dietary choices and prevention of tobacco use.
“Count the Kicks” goal is to save 60 Kansas babies every year, reduce stillbirth rate by 26 percent
TOPEKA – The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) announced today that it has partnered with Count the Kicks, a proven stillbirth prevention public health campaign. Kansas vital statistics show that 232 stillborn babies are born each year in our state. The introduction of Count the Kicks in Kansas has the potential to save 60 babies every year if Kansas’ stillbirth rate decreases by 26 percent, as has happened in neighboring Iowa where the campaign began.
Count the Kicks teaches the method for and importance of tracking fetal movement in the third trimester of pregnancy. Scientific studies show that expectant moms should track their baby’s movements once a day in the third trimester and learn how long it normally takes their baby to get to 10 movements. Moms will start to notice a pattern, a normal amount of time it takes their baby to get to 10. If “normal” changes during the third trimester, this could be a sign of potential problems and an indication to call their provider.
“We are excited to provide physicians, partners and pregnant women across the state full access to Count the Kicks materials,” said Rachel Sisson, KDHE Bureau of Family Health Director. “KDHE’s Bureau of Family Health remains committed to collaborative efforts to support the healthiest outcome for mothers and infants.”
Through KDHE, maternal health providers, birthing hospitals and social service agencies throughout Kansas can order FREE Count the Kicks educational materials at www.countthekicks.org to start using these materials in their practices right away. Moms everywhere can download the FREE Count the Kicks app, which is available in the Google Play and iTunes online stores. The app, available in English and Spanish, allows expectant moms to monitor their baby’s movement, record the history, set a daily reminder, count for single babies and twins. The app already helped save seven Iowa babies in the past year.
This project is supported by KDHE with funding through the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), under grant number #B04MC31488 and title Maternal and Child Health Services.
Topeka- This morning the Governor’s chief counsel issued the following opinion, which was sent to all county election officials.
LEGAL OPINION FROM
OFFICE OF THE CHIEF COUNSEL
The Governor has requested that I issue this legal opinion regarding interpretation of Kansas election law provisions concerning unaffiliated primary voters casting of provisional ballots.
Kansas law provides that an unaffiliated voter must be permitted to affiliate with a party on primary election day and vote in a party’s primary. K.S.A. 25-3301(c). However, sometimes when an unaffiliated voter seeks to affiliate and vote in a party primary, a poll worker (often a volunteer) simply instructs the unaffiliated voter to fill out a provisional party ballot rather than a party affiliation statement. Kansas law requires canvassers to look to the intent of the voter to correct this technical error by the poll worker and count the primary vote.
Specifically, Kansas law expressly provides that such poll worker errors should be disregarded by the county canvassing board: “No ballot, or any portion thereof, shall be invalidated by any technical error unless it is impossible to determine the voter’s intention. Determination of the voter’s intention shall rest in the discretion of the board canvassing in the case of a canvass.” K.S.A. 25-3002(b)(1). This guiding principle has special importance in elections for governor: “[Even though] provisions of law may not have been fully complied with in noticing and conducting the election . . . the real will of the people may not be defeated by any technical irregularity of any officer.” K.S.A. 25-702(b).
Accordingly, Kansas law requires that provisional ballots cast by unaffiliated voters in a primary election be construed as evidence of voter intent and must be counted. Canvassers should look not to the technical statutory requirement of a party affiliation statement, but rather to the intent of the voter, as is compelled by other statutory law.
Photos Featured at the Governor’s Water Conference in November
Kansas is blessed with great natural resources and Kansans are encouraged to capture the most vital of these, water. The Kansas Water Office (KWO) is accepting water photos to be featured at the 2018 Governor’s Water Conference in November. The photos need to pertain to water or water use in Kansas. Examples include all bodies of water, irrigation, and agriculture, recreation and fun, or other water infrastructure.
Worthy entries will be selected for display at the 2018 Governor’s Water Conference, scheduled for Nov. 13-14, 2018 in Manhattan, KS. Attendees at the conference will have the opportunity to vote for their favorite photo. The winning photo will earn feature photo at the 2019 Governor’s Water Conference. It will also, along with second and third place, be displayed in Kansas State Capitol and the Kansas Water Office during the year.
Entries can be submitted through our online portal on the KWO Website: www.kwo.ks.gov or should be sent to [email protected]with a minimum resolution of 300 dpi. The following formats are accepted: .jpg, .png and .gif. Participants have until October 12, 2018, to enter a maximum of five photos that follow contest guidelines. For more information for photo, categories visit the KWO website.
By submitting photos, participants grant KWO permission to freely use and share photos at the Governor’s Water Conference, on social media, web, publications, and displays.
Updates on the contest will be distributed through the KWO social media pages on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. For more information visit the KWO website.
The Governor’s Conference on the Future of Water in Kansas is hosted by the KWO, K-State /Kansas Water Resource Institute. Major sponsors for the event include Black & Veatch, Burns & McDonnell and Great Lakes Dredge & Dock.
Shirley Palmer answers questions about Josh Svaty prior to the candidate forum.
There are 12 candidates for governor of Kansas, four spoke at the 2018 Candidates Forum at Fort Scott High School July 31.
The following are excerpts from opening comments that were given:
One spokesperson, Shirley Palmer, did so for Josh Svaty. When Palmer served as a representative, she knew Svaty to be articulate, and “making a difference,” she said. He is a Kansas farmer, married with four children. Savty is able to unify Kansas. “Want to make a change…(and are ready) to move this state forward.”
Arden Andersen: He was a vo-ag teacher initially, is a doctor, and flight doctor, and has served in the military. “I am tired of a broken health care system, I have answers to solve that system…To make health care available to everyone from the least to the greatest.” Additionally “We need to get more money into the classroom for supplies and paraprofessionals.”
Lynn Rogers: He is running for lieutenant governor with Laura Kelly as governor. He is a senator, worked for a farm credit business, married with three children and three grandchildren, was on the Wichita School Board for over 16 years. “Services… are not being performed…roads.. and schools are falling apart.” “We are ready to work for you right away.”
Patrick Kucera: He is an entrepreneurial evangelist. Married 28 years with six children. He is a visionary leader, not a manager.
Ken Selzer: He attended K-State, married 38 years, CPA, business man, Conservative, pro-life, pro-2nd Amendment, and is the current state insurance commissioner. While in office he reduced the size of the office, reduced costs to the state, and improved customer service.
Question 1: The Supreme Court has said legislative funding for education is deficient. How would you propose it be financed?
Andersen: Diversity is needed in the state, other sources, perhaps tourism, getting the economy going. Medical marijuana helps with the opioid crises, he said, as a doctor. There isn’t one thing that will solve all problems. Health care and the prison system need to be overhauled. These are ideas to get more revenue.
Rogers: Legislature did that this year. “We did that through overturning the unfair Brownback tax experiment.” “We had 400,000 people who weren’t paying taxes. We have made it a fairness issue… We balanced the budget this year. As a state, we have begged borrow and stolen from every fund.”
Kucera: He said entrepreneurs create revenue and an evangelist creates a revival and he is creating a revival of revenue. Wants to redefine what revenue is: not taxation. “I’m the agricultural hemp guy in this race. We are an agricultural economy. I believe that revival of revenue is coming from industrial hemp.”
Selzer: Lean in on costs. Operate more effectively. Make Kansas grow. “We have to think more broadly. That will solve some of our funding problems.”
Question 2: What would you do to improve rural Kansas hospitals?
Rogers: Expand Medicaid, it would cover $1.2 million and create thousands of jobs. Another idea: Ark City pays a 1.5 percent sales tax to fund their hospital.
Kucera: “Agricultural, industrial hemp. A plant that can be grown, create jobs, make property tax grow up. That is the answer.”
Selzer: “A natural selection of hospitals…. sometimes yields a better result.” “Some rural hospitals will affiliate with larger hospitals.” “We need to be careful what we do with Medicaid Expansion., it’s incredibly expensive.”
Anderson: Some insurances cost $1,000 to $2,000 per month and with deductibles $5,000-10,000, he said. “you essentially don’t have insurance”. The medical system has to be overhauled and suggested looking at the Australian model.
Question 3: Would you lower the property tax?
Kucera: The state must make more and spend less. The more money you have in your tax, the more the economy will grow. The government should be more entrepreneurial.
Seltzer: Absolutely, we will take a business approach…increase the economy.
Anderson: Pproperty tax is not fair to seniors and lower social economic level.
Rogers: Many weren’t paying taxes, the tax burden was pushed on cities and counties. A county’s biggest expenses are law enforcement and mental health, those costs have been pushed from state to local level and are unfair.
Closing remarks:
Seltzer: He is a successful business man and has a government background. He has improved costs and productivity as the current insurance commissioner. “I have released my tax returns, you need to lead by example.” He has a farm and is connected to rural Kansas.
Anderson:” It’s important to understand there are a number of things we need to overhaul. Health care is the no.1 issue nationwide. It’s important to turn this thing around in three ways: 1) De-privatize, 2) go after drug costs,3) go after radiology and laboratory costs.
Twenty-percent of children have developmental delay in our classrooms, caused by mercury, aluminum, pesticides and industrial chemicals.” We won’t be able to train them…. and who will take care of them when their parents no longer can.”
Rogers: “We will be out in state visiting on a regular basis… Laura Kelley has fought back. Kansas deserves better service. We want to get to work for you as a no-nonsense problem solver.”
Candidate forum attendees were greeted by candidates in the hall of Fort Scott High School.
Kucera: A change of direction in the state is needed. Hemp can be converted into 50,000 products. Those will create jobs and farmers will have hope again. He is a visionary leader.
The candidates for State Treasurer, Senate District 13 and Commissioner of Insurance were among the 25 candidates to speak at the July 31 Candidate Forum at Fort Scott High School.
Following are excerpts from their responses to questions submitted to the Fort Scott Chamber of Commerce and read to the candidates by the moderator, Tim McKenney.
Marci Francisco, a candidate for state treasurer, said she received a warm welcome from Fort Scott when she completed the Bike Across Kansas this summer.
Marci Francisco speaks about the state treasurer position she is vying for.
Francisco is a 4th generation Kansan, had a career at KU, was on the Lawrence City Commission in 1979, mayor of Lawrence from ’81-’83, has non-profit involvement, serves as a tax partner for a small business, State Senator from 2004-2018 serving on the ways and means and assessment and tax committee.
“The state treasurer has the responsibility for overseeing the receipts and expenditures of the state. We should ask for those reports to be placed on the website and ….provide search tools for those reports.”
She said the recent governors have spent more than the state took in. She wants to promote financial literacy and also help return unclaimed property.
Commissioner of Insurance: Two candidates answered questions at the forum.
Although not present, candidate Clark Shultz sent a spokesperson to say to the forum that Schultz is pro-life, pro 2nd Amendment and has Insurance experience, served in the House and Senate and is currently the state assistant insurance commissioner.
Candidate Vickie Schmidt is married, has two sons and two grandsons, has been a pharmacist for 40 years, and is a Kansas Senator representing Shawnee County and Wabaunsee county. “I know first hand what our rising health care costs have done to our families and our seniors.
Nathaniel McLaughlin said he came to Kansas in 1983…The Kansas State emblem caught his attention..a picture with a man with hands on the plow. His background is hard work, faith in God and respect for neighbor.
Vickie Schmidt answers a question from the moderator, while Nathaniel McLaughlin listens.
The moderator asked the candidates to tell what the position does, with the following responses:
Schmidt: The Insurance Commissioner enforces the regulations that insurance companies are required to abide by and should be an advocate for citizens. She has a track record of fighting for taxpayers, she stated. She said she has the support of Bob Dole.
McLaughlin: Regulate, advocate and educate is the mission statement of the insurance commissioner. McLaughlin has a business background with Marriott. He has a concern with the way Medicare is spent and said he would promote for private insurance.
Two candidates are in the Kansas Senate District 13 primary, Richard Hilderbrand and Bryan Hoffman.
Following is excerpts from their opening remarks at the forum:
Richard Hilderbrand has been the District 13 Senator for two years. There needs to be a fiscally accountable representative, and he believes he has been.
Bryan Hoffman said he was raised on a farm, is a carpenter, is a rancher with100 head of cattle and has never been in politics.
Question 1: Funding the educational system?
Hoffman: Adequately fund the education system but hold them accountable. We have been dismantled by the Brownback administration.
Hilderbrand: The biggest cuts were pre-Brownback. There was a 13.5- percent cut in k-12 education by the governor at the time. We have to make sure the funding is going into the classroom. We have to improve our economy.
Question 2: Anything that can be done to lower property taxes?
Hilderbrand: The legislature must stop passing unfunded mandates to schools, cities, and counties, which puts the burden farther down the road.
Hoffman: We have given away 2.5 billion dollars that the citizens… have paid in federal taxes. We can use that to fund these things and still lower our property taxes. Better-paying jobs are needed in Kansas.
Question 2: Are you in support of funding abortions?
Hoffman: No
Hilderbrand: Absolutely not.
Closing remarks:
Hildebrand: The right to vote shouldn’t be taken for granted. I do appreciate your vote. Look at previous voting records.
Hoffman: I will fight hard for Southeast Kansas, if I have a question about teachers, I’m going to call a teacher, etc.
