For Immediate Release: Contact: Governor Kelly to Welcome Dolly Parton to Kansas for Imagination Library of Kansas
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Category Archives: Kansas
Virtual Job Fair to Showcase Hundreds of Available State Positions
TOPEKA – Jobseekers are encouraged to attend the upcoming State of Kansas Agencies Virtual Job Fair from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, July 26. This virtual fair, hosted by KANSASWORKS, will focus on employment opportunities available within many of the state’s 98 government agencies. Currently, there are almost 800 vacancies across the state.
“The Department of Commerce alone has 28 openings, and we want to fill these positions with skilled and professional candidates looking to secure good-paying careers with great benefits,” Lieutenant Governor and Secretary of Commerce David Toland said. “All of our agency jobs offer opportunities for individuals to make a true difference in the lives of individuals and communities by serving our great state.”
Registration is required to participate in the event, regardless of previous participation. The Virtual Job Fair portal features a jobseeker training video, a list of participating employers, and channels for attendees to register and log in. Jobseekers are encouraged to dress professionally, as employers might request to engage in a video interview.
Candidates can participate through any digital device, but it is highly recommended to use a computer to be most effective during the job fairs. If a jobseeker does not have access to a personal computer, they are available at KANSASWORKS offices as well as local libraries throughout the state. Any individual with a disability may request accommodations by contacting their nearest workforce center at (877) 509-6757 prior to the event.
To register for the July 26 State of Kansas Agencies Virtual Job Fair, click here.
About KANSASWORKS:
KANSASWORKS links businesses, job candidates and educational institutions to ensure that employers can find skilled workers. Services are provided to employers and job candidates through the state’s 27 workforce centers, online or virtual services KANSASWORKS is completely free for all Kansans to use. Learn more at KANSASWORKS.com. State employment opportunities can be found at jobs.ks.gov.
About the Kansas Department of Commerce:
As the state’s lead economic development agency, the Kansas Department of Commerce strives to empower individuals, businesses and communities to achieve prosperity in Kansas. Commerce accomplishes its mission by developing relationships with corporations, site location consultants and stakeholders in Kansas, the nation and world. Our strong partnerships allow us to help create an environment for existing Kansas businesses to grow and foster an innovative, competitive landscape for new businesses. Through Commerce’s project successes, Kansas was awarded Area Development Magazine’s prestigious Gold Shovel award in 2021, 2022 and 2023, and was awarded the 2021 and 2022 Governor’s Cup by Site Selection Magazine.
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KDADS Reopens Shared Living Program for Individuals with Intellectual/Developmental Disabilities
TOPEKA – Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services (KDADS) Secretary Laura Howard announces the agency has reopened its Shared Living Program, a Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) living option for individuals with Intellectual and/or Developmental Disabilities (IDD).
“The process to re-introduce this program to Kansans with IDD has been an important one and we are grateful to and want to acknowledge those who continuously advocated for this program across the state and for those who participated in the creation of the manual,” KDADS Secretary Howard said. “Our team and our partner group has implemented best practices in our state, answered questions, developed tools, and have been vital in this program’s development.”
Shared Living is a nationally recognized model for habilitation or residential services for individuals with IDD. In Shared Living, one to two Participants share a home with a family or single adult’s family (the Contractor). The Contractor lives with the Participant and provides supports to them in accordance with the Participant’s person-centered support plan to include social activities, companionship, teaching, daily living skills, supported employment, night supports and other needs.
“Shared Living provides adults with IDD the opportunity to live in a supportive, family-like environment that promotes independence, social inclusion, and a sense of belonging,” Sunflower Health Plan’s President and CEO, Michael Stephens said. “Sunflower is proud to partner with KDADS and IDD providers to reopen this program.”
Participants in the Shared Living Program have the same rights, responsibilities, and assurances as other Participants receiving HCBS-IDD services in other settings. All services and supports will comply with KDADS licensing, Community Developmental Disabilities Organization (CDDO) quality assurance, Managed Care Organization (MCO) reviews, the Person-Centered Support Plan, and other quality assurance reviews.
KDADS has developed the standards for the Shared Living Program in collaboration with a group of licensed residential providers currently providing Shared Living services for Participants on Kansas’ HCBS-IDD Waiver. The Shared Living Manual, effective July 1, 2023, formalizes existing practices and addresses specific issues related to the HCBS-IDD residential requirements and the expansion of the Shared Living Program in Kansas. The Shared Living Manual may be amended based on public comment.
“We are excited to offer this high-quality service option to our Sunflower members and other adults with IDD across Kansas. We appreciate the knowledge and collaboration KDADS and our provider partners offer to inform the future structure of this valuable service model,” Sunflower’s Vice President of Long-term Care and External Relations, Stephanie Rasmussen, said.
KDADS expects the Shared Living Program to:
- Contribute to the development of individualized, independent daily living routines through encouragement of informed choice, creativity, and enrichment of a Participant’s life.
- Assist participants in contributing to Kansas as a community.
- Support quality homes or apartments that are integrated into our communities.
- Consistently teach new skills with evidenced-based practices.
- Foster inclusion.
- Gently and respectfully address inappropriate behavior, with an emphasis on prevention by teaching alternative behaviors through the provision of enriched environments, activities, and choices.
- Ensure that all behavioral interventions comply with state statutes to ensure the least restrictive environment possible.
- Increase a Participant’s ability to live in the least restrictive environment.
- Encourage and support the development of relationships between Participants, participant peers, families, roommates, employees, friends, coworkers, roommates, and other community members.
- Motivate participants to learn new skills and avoid behaviors that are stigmatizing or harmful.
- Comply with federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Final Rule and all local, state, federal, and Program requirements.
- Promote the need for choice, exercising autonomy, and control over one’s own services.
- Address workforce shortages without compromising quality of services and supports.
The entry timeline for the program is staggered to allow development and implementation to progress efficiently:
- July 1, 2023 – All Providers currently providing Shared Living Services can continue to do so and expand into other catchment areas. Any Residential Licensed Provider in good standing can begin the process to provide Shared Living Services.
- January 1, 2024 – New applicants can begin the process to become a Residential Licensed Provider to provide Shared Living Services. New applicants can include any new or existing agency that wishes to be become licensed for Residential Services and offer the Shared Living Program.
Any agency currently providing Shared Living or that would like to become a Shared Living Provider can contact KDADS’ IDD Licensing Manager Aaron Norris.
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Program Announced to Replace Stolen Food Assistance Benefits
TOPEKA – In response to increased reports of Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) card thefts across the U.S., the Kansas Department for Children and Families (DCF) is accepting requests for replacement of the stolen Food Assistance (also known as SNAP) benefits.
“Access to healthy food is a key component of a family’s well-being,” said DCF Secretary Laura Howard. “This program will help Kansans whose benefits have been stolen recoup those resources, helping to ensure they can provide healthy, nutritious meals for their family members.”
There have been fewer than 20 reports of stolen benefits in Kansas. Nationally the numbers are higher, which prompted the signing of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023 by President Joe Biden in December 2022. The act includes a provision for the replacement of stolen EBT benefits with federal funds.
Food Assistance benefits eligible for replacement include those stolen from card skimming, card cloning, and other types of fraudulent methods between Oct. 1, 2022, and Sept. 30, 2024. Cardholders have 45 calendar days from the day of the theft to make a report to DCF. If the incident occurred between Oct. 1, 2022, and July 12, 2023, a report must be made by Aug. 26, 2023.
- Skimming – A method of obtaining personal data from EBT cards while they are used at an ATM machine or POS.
- Cloning – A type of card theft in which the thief makes a digital copy of the card information using a concealed or disguised electronic scanner to create a new physical card.
- Similar Fraudulent Events – Phishing or scamming attacks by criminals to obtain EBT card numbers to clone EBT cards or conduct online transactions.
If a Kansan believes their Food Assistance benefits have been stolen, they should contact DCF at 1-888-369-4777 or by calling the Fraud Hotline at 1-800-432-3913.
The USDA Food and Nutrition Services offers the following tips to prevent the theft of benefits through fraudulent activities.
- Avoid simple PINs. Number combinations such as 1111, 1234, or 9876 may be easy for others to guess.
- Keep your PIN and card number secret. Do not share your PIN or card number with anyone outside your household. Cover the keypad when you enter your PIN on a machine.
- Beware of phishing. State agencies and EBT processors will never call or text to ask for your PIN or card number.
- Change your PIN often. Change your PIN at least once a month, right before your benefit issuance date.
- Check your EBT account regularly for unauthorized charges. If you see any, change your PIN right away to stop the thief from making new purchases. Report suspicious activity to your local SNAP office.
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KS Rail Service Improvement Projects Sought
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Kansas Housing Update
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Federal Funding to Modernize Electrical Grid Infrastructure.
Kansas Receives More than $13M to Address Electrical Grid Resilience and Reliability
TOPEKA – Governor Laura Kelly today announced that Kansas is receiving $13.3 million in funding to modernize electrical grid infrastructure. The investment from the U.S. Department of Energy is provided through its Grid Resilience State and Tribal Formula Grants program.
These funds, which will be administered by the Kansas Corporation Commission, will be used to promote projects that strengthen and modernize the power grid against natural disasters while advancing projects that attract, train, and retain a skilled Kansas workforce.
“Our power grid is vital to the health and well-being of Kansans,” Governor Kelly said. “This investment provides us the opportunity to continue making progress on electrical projects related to emergency preparedness and projects that modernize and strengthen our power grid.”
“By modernizing our electric grid, we are creating good-paying jobs and ensuring folks across Kansas have access to clean, affordable electricity, even during some of the extreme weather events we’ve seen lately,” said Representative Sharice Davids (KS-03). “I’m proud to have helped bring these investments home to Kansas through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which continues to make a positive impact on the lives of Kansas families and businesses.”
Kansas was one of nine states and three tribal nations to receive a combined total of $207.6 million in grants in this third round of funding.
More information about the Grid Resilience State/Tribal Formula Grant program can be found here.
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Special Hunting Access this Fall Through Free Draw
KDWP to Offer Special Hunting Access this Fall Through Free Draw
PRATT – Exclusive access to land not normally open to hunting and above average success rates… Sound like an expensive hunting lease? Well, it’s not. The Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks’ Special Hunts program provides hundreds of such hunts each fall and winter, and what’s even better? There’s no charge – all you have to do is apply and be selected.
KDWP’s Special Hunts program offers hunting opportunities with limited access to public and private lands, including select refuge areas, for deer, upland game, waterfowl, doves, turkey and furbearers.
Applications must be made online here, https://programs.ksoutdoors.
This fall and winter, KDWP is offering more than 350 individual “Special Hunt” opportunities.
The application period opened July 8, 2023, with the application draw dates as follows:
- First Draw Hunts (hunts occurring in September and October) – Aug. 7, 2023
- Second Draw Hunts (hunts occurring in November and December) – Sept. 25, 2023
- Third Draw Hunts (hunts occurring in January and February) – Dec. 11, 2023
Resident or nonresident hunters may apply, though some hunts are restricted to residents only. When applying online, hunters will select hunts by species, date and category, which include “Open,” “Youth,” or “Mentored” hunts. All applicants are eligible to apply for Open Hunts, regardless of age or hunting experience. Youth Hunts require parties to include at least one hunter age 18 or younger, accompanied by an adult age 21 or older (who may not hunt). And Mentored Hunts are open to both youth and novice hunters supervised by a mentor age 21 or older (who may also hunt).
E-mail notifications are sent to both “successful” and “unsuccessful” applicants within two business weeks of the drawing. Successful applicants will also be emailed their hunt permit, as well as area maps and other pertinent information. Hunters are responsible for purchasing necessary licenses and permits required by law.
For more information on KDWP’s Special Hunts Program, visit https://ksoutdoors.com/
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KDWP to Conduct Five-Year Review of State Listed Species
PRATT – The Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks (KDWP) is conducting a five-year review of the lists of Kansas species that are endangered, threatened or Species In Need of Conservation (SINC). Endangered is the most imperiled category of the three, and species on the SINC list are deemed to require conservation measures to prevent them from becoming threatened or endangered. A five-year review is required by the Kansas Nongame and Endangered Species Conservation Act of 1975. Any individual or group can petition KDWP to propose an addition, deletion, or modification to the current lists by providing pertinent scientific information required within the petition form.
KDWP relies on the Threatened and Endangered Species Task Committee to assist with the review process. The task committee consists of seven members representing various disciplines, and include staff from state and federal agencies and state universities. To determine if a full review is warranted, the task committee examines updated scientific information and research for any species petitioned for a listing change. Species experts are consulted and all available data is evaluated during the full review. These recommendations, and any amendments to them, are published in the Kansas Register for public comment for at least 90 days. After a full review is completed, the task committee makes recommendations to the KDWP Secretary and any changes to the lists must be approved by the KDWP Commission following a public hearing.
At the last five-year review completed in 2019, the Arkansas darter was removed from the threatened list and added to the SINC list. The Wabash pigtoe mussel was removed from the SINC list, and the cylindrical papershell mussel was added to the endangered list.
The state endangered list currently includes 11 invertebrates, five fish, two amphibians, two birds and two mammals. The state threatened list includes six invertebrates, 10 fish, six amphibians, three reptiles, one turtle, two birds and one mammal. The state SINC list includes 82 species.
A recent survey conducted by Responsive Management – an internationally recognized research firm specializing in natural resource and outdoor recreation issues – found that conservation of threatened and endangered wildlife remains important among Kansans. Some interesting findings included:
- A majority of Kansas residents (94 percent) agreed that the KDWP should continue to identify and protect habitat critical to threatened and endangered species.
- A majority (84 percent) of residents agree with the statement, “Wildlife that is threatened and endangered in Kansas yet abundant in other states should still be protected in Kansas.”
Petitions must be received by October 5, 2023 to be considered for the current five-year review. Petition forms can be downloaded at: https://ksoutdoors.com/
For more information, including a list of the current threatened and endangered species in Kansas, visit ksoutdoors.com/Services/
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KS Is a National Leader in Economic and Income Growth
Kansas: National Leader in Economic and Income Growth in First Quarter of 2023
~~Bureau of Economic Analysis Report Reflects Success of Kelly Administration Efforts to Create Jobs, Support Businesses~~
TOPEKA – A report recently released by the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) shows that, in the first quarter of 2023, Kansas ranked fourth in the nation for personal income growth and seventh in the nation for economic growth. The report highlights the Kelly administration’s success in recruiting and supporting businesses that grow the state’s economy and increase wages for workers.
“This report is further proof that the work my administration is doing to create good-paying jobs, grow the economy, and balance the budget is benefiting Kansans,” Governor Laura Kelly said. “The days of Kansas making headlines for failure and mismanagement are long behind us. Now, we are leading the nation in creating a strong economy.”
Kansas’ real gross domestic product (GDP), or the market value of goods and services produced in the state, grew by 6.0% from the fourth quarter of 2022 when adjusted for inflation, triple the national average of 2.0%.
Personal income in Kansas grew by 8.4% over the same period, surpassing the national rate of 5.1%.
“This report demonstrates the resiliency and strength of the Kansas economy,” Secretary of Administration and Director of Budget Adam Proffitt said. “The state has placed in the top 7 for both GDP and Personal Income in the aggregate and across multiple sectors of the economy, showing that our economy is not overly dependent on any one sector. Our state’s fiscal health is strong, and the outlook remains promising.”
The report showed that agriculture, forestry, fishing, and hunting were the lead contributors to growth in states including Kansas – a testament to the Kelly administration’s efforts to reinvigorate the state’s economy across multiple sectors.
“The Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks and residents have worked hard to build a reputation for the Sunflower State as one of the top states in the nation for outdoor recreation, and our six percent rise in real GDP this quarter certainly reflects that,” Secretary of Wildlife and Parks Brad Loveless said. “By prioritizing sustainable practices and collaboration with private landowners, I’m confident we’ll continue to develop our great tradition of hunting, fishing, hiking, and camping for many more generations, and visitors, to come.”
“Agriculture has always been at the heart of the Kansas economy, and the growth we’ve seen in agriculture and agribusiness across the state shows the entrepreneurial spirit of Kansans,” Agriculture Secretary Mike Beam said. “Innovative approaches in technology, science, and sustainability will keep Kansas agriculture at the forefront of producing the food, fiber, and fuel that are needed in the future.”
Read more from the BEA here.
KS Spanish Suicide Prevention App Now Available
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Thousands of Jobs Retained in Kansas
Kansas Surpasses 60,000 Jobs Created and Retained Since Start of
Governor Kelly Administration
TOPEKA – Governor Laura Kelly announced today that since she took office in January 2019, her administration has successfully collaborated with private sector businesses to create and retain more than 60,000 jobs in Kansas. This milestone continues the record-breaking economic development success the state has experienced under the Kelly administration.
“60,000 jobs represent 60,000 opportunities for Kansans in every corner of the state to provide better futures for themselves and their families,” Governor Laura Kelly said. “These job numbers are a testament to the work my administration has done to invest in the building blocks of our state’s economy: our public schools, strong roads and bridges, high-speed internet, and a modern workforce.”
This milestone represents more than $16.7 billion in private-sector investment comprising more than 940 announced projects that include both international corporations placing operations in the Sunflower State and Kansas companies choosing to expand right here at home.
The unprecedented surge in economic activity over the last several years has resulted in Kansas being awarded three consecutive Gold Shovel Awards from Area Development Magazine for its achievement in attracting high-value investment projects that will create a significant number of new jobs throughout the state, and two consecutive Governor’s Cups from Site Selection magazine for having the most capital investment per capita in the nation.
“Time and time again, the Kelly Administration has kept its promise of creating the best state in the nation to live, work and invest,” Lieutenant Governor and Secretary of Commerce David Toland said. “Keeping our kids and families in Kansas has always been the priority, and the momentum leading up to this milestone achievement shows that Governor Kelly’s approach is right on track.”
Nearly 90% of the jobs and investments attracted are in the targeted industry sectors outlined in the Kansas Framework for Growth, the state’s first comprehensive economic development plan in more than 30 years that Governor Kelly introduced in February 2021.
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