Category Archives: Kansas

Government, Kansas

Virtual Job Fair for Open Positions

Leave a comment

Kansas Department of Commerce Hosting Virtual Job Fair for Open Positions

TOPEKA – Lieutenant Governor and Secretary of Commerce David Toland today encouraged job seekers to participate in the January 12 KANSASWORKS Virtual Job Fair, which will feature openings at the Kansas Department of Commerce.

The virtual job fair will be from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday, January 12, and allow job seekers to easily live chat and conduct interviews with Human Resources team members on computers, tablets and mobile devices. Job candidates also will be able to upload their resumes to their Virtual Job Fair account.

Click here to register for the Virtual Job Fair.

“We have an outstanding team at the Department of Commerce, with motivated and talented individuals doing an extraordinary job every day serving the people of Kansas,” Lieutenant Governor/Secretary Toland said. “We’re looking for new team members who are eager to contribute to our mission of advancing economic growth and prosperity across the state.”

The Jan. 12 job fair will seek to fill the following positions at Commerce: Director of Marketing and Communications; Communications Coordinator for the Marketing-Communications Division; Program Manager for the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program; Main Street Design Specialist for Kansas Main Street; Website and Database Manager for the Tourism Division; and other openings.

Numerous virtual job fairs have been organized by Commerce since the pandemic started, serving as a safe and convenient way to successfully connect Kansas job seekers and employers.

Any individual with a disability may request accommodations for this or future job fairs by contacting their nearest workforce center at (877) 509-6757 prior to the event.

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.

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 in 2021 was awarded Area Development Magazine’s prestigious Gold Shovel award and was named Site Selection Magazine’s Best Business Climate in the West North Central region of the United States. Find the Department’s strategic plan for economic growth here: Kansas Framework for Growth.

Government, Kansas

Governor Issues Disaster Declaration

Leave a comment

Governor Laura Kelly Issues 15-Day Disaster Declaration, Two Executive Orders to Aid Kansas Hospital and Adult Care Home Capacity

~No new mandates or closures will be issued~

TOPEKA – Governor Laura Kelly today signed a State of Disaster Emergency to alleviate healthcare staffing shortages and facilities’ constraints caused by the surge in COVID-19 cases. Governor Kelly also signed executive orders 22-01 and 22-02 which temporarily suspend certain statutes and regulations for adult care homes and certain health care providers.

“Just as I did at the start of the pandemic, today I am again issuing orders to provide our hospitals and nursing homes with the necessary staffing flexibility to keep the residents, patients, and staff safe,” Governor Kelly said. “This disaster declaration provides a 15-day solution to give our front-line health care workers the support they need as they battle this COVID-19 surge. This action is temporary until the legislature returns, at which I time I will work with them to pass legislation to extend my executive orders through the month of March.”

The 15-day disaster declaration activates the state’s disaster response and recovery portions of the Kansas Response Plan. The declaration also allows for the Governor to suspend certain statutes, orders or rules and regulations that prevent, hinder, or delay in any way necessary action in coping with the disaster.

E.O. 22-01 provides temporary relief from certain restrictions and requirements governing the provision of medical services.

E.O. 22-02 relaxes or suspends licensure, certification, and registration for persons and licensure of adult care homes.

“I urge all Kansans to do their part by getting vaccinated and boosted, which will both help prevent COVID-19 transmissions and more severe cases that require hospitalization, and also help in maintaining our critical infrastructure and economy intact” Governor Kelly said.

Kansas is currently experiencing significant increases in COVID-19 cases following the winter holidays and from the new Omicron variant. Medical professionals anticipate that the numbers will worsen throughout the month of January and into early February.  Early data indicates that while the Omicron variant causes milder symptoms, it is more transmissible, even amongst vaccinated individuals.

Please find the state disaster declaration here.

COVID-19, Health Care, Kansas

COVID-19 Update and Status on Kansas Hospitals.

Leave a comment
COVID-19 Courtesy photo.
The COVID-19 Update for Kansas, per Kansas Department of Health and Environment:
There have been 15,332 new cases, 15 new deaths, and 104 new hospitalizations since Monday (1/3/22).
The average age of the COVID-19 case is 39.

Rebecca Johnston, Southeast Kansas Multi-Health Department Administrator, presented a  link to a Youtube video on a presentation about the dire state that Kansas Hospitals are in right now: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nz62gGguXhw

“I urge our residents to wear a mask in large gatherings, use good hygiene, practice social distancing, get vaccinated if able and stay home when sick!” she said.

The following is the updated Kansas guidelines:

2022 Updated COVID-19 Guidelines

For General Population + K-12 Schools

January 6, 2022

IF YOU TEST POSITIVE FOR COVID-19:

ISOLATE

EVERYONE, REGARDLESS OF VACCINATION STATUS:

  • Stay home for at least 5 days
  • Stay home as long as you have symptoms. If you have a fever, continue to stay home until your fever resolves.
  • If you have no symptoms or your symptoms resolve, you can leave your house after a minimum of 5 days of isolation.
  • Continue to wear a mask around others for 5 additional days after you leave isolation.

IF YOU HAVE BEEN EXPOSED TO COVID-19:

QUARANTINE PROCEDURES

IF YOU ARE VACCINATED:

IF YOU: Have been boosted

OR

Completed the primary series of Pfizer or Moderna vaccine within the last 6 months

OR

Completed the primary series of J&J vaccines within the last 2 months

OR

Have had lab-confirmed COVID-19 within the last 90 days

 YOU SHOULD:

  • Wear a mask around others for 10 days
  • Test on day 5, if possible
  • If you develop symptoms at any time, get tested and stay home.

IF YOU ARE NOT FULLY VACCINATED:

IF YOU: Completed the primary series of Pfizer or Moderna vaccine more than 6 months ago and are not boosted

OR

Completed the primary series of J&J more than 2 months ago and are not boosted

OR

Are unvaccinated

 YOU SHOULD:

  • Stay home for 5 days
  • Wear a mask around others for 10 days
  • Test on day 5, if possible
  • If you develop symptoms at any time, get tested and stay home
  • Household contacts may leave home quarantine on the positive case’s day 11 as long as:
  1. the positive case has worn a mask in the home while around the household contact during their isolation
  2. the household contact is not experiencing symptoms, are fever free and wear a mask around others for the remaining 5 days

*Please note: these guidelines are not for healthcare workers or congregate settings (correctional facilities, long-term care facilities, daycares).

COVID-19, Government, Kansas

COVID-19 Booster Shot and Additional Primary Dose for Immunocompromised Children

Leave a comment

KDHE Expands Eligibility for COVID-19 Booster Shot and Additional Primary Dose for Immunocompromised Children

TOPEKA – The Kansas Department of Health and Environment has expanded eligibility for the COVID-19 vaccine booster shot and additional primary dose for immunocompromised children following authorization from the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). KDHE has authorized the 2,000+ COVID-19 vaccine providers across Kansas to begin administering the booster shot and additional primary dose to eligible populations.

“It has been proven that that the COVID-19 vaccine is effective and is the best tool to protect you and your loved ones from serious illness, hospitalization and death. Our hospitals continue to report that the large majority of patients hospitalized with COVID, particularly those on ventilators, are not vaccinated,” Janet Stanek, Acting Secretary, said. “Today’s announcement to expand eligibility opens up the COVID-19 vaccine booster shot to an additional 36,000 children who received their primary series at least 5 months ago. The Pfizer booster shot is shown to increase the neutralizing antibodies by 25-fold compared to just two doses. Now is the best time to get the booster shot or get the primary series if you have not gotten it to protect yourself and your family.”

The following updates were made to COVID-19 booster shot eligibility.

  • Children ages 12-15 are now eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine booster. Today, the CDC authorized the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 booster shot for children ages 12-15 to be administered 5 months after completing their Pfizer-BioNTech primary series. 36,474 of the 68,476 children who have completed the Pfizer-BioNTech primary series are now eligible to receive the vaccine booster.
  • Shortened booster waiting period. People can now receive a booster shot 5 months after completing the Pfizer-BioNTech primary series. This change comes following the January 4 announcement by the CDC. The waiting period for the Johnson & Johnson vaccine (2 months) or the Moderna vaccine (6 months) has not changed. The CDC has listed the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna as the preferred COVID-19 vaccine. Additionally, the CDC allows for mix and match dosing for booster shots.

The following update was made to the additional primary dose eligibility for immunocompromised people.

Moderately or severely immunocompromised children ages 5-11 can now receive an additional primary dose of COVID-19 vaccine administered 28 days after their second shot. This change comes following the January 4 announcement by the CDC.

Click here to find the COVID-19 vaccine eligibility information for primary, additional and booster vaccines.

KDHE continues to urge Kansans to use the following tools to protect against COVID-19 and the Omicron variant.

  • Get vaccinated and boosted. Vaccines remain the best tool to protect people from COVID-19, slow transmission and reduce the likelihood of new variants emerging. The authorized COVID-19 vaccines are highly effective in preventing serious illness, hospitalizations, and death. The COVID-19 vaccines approved or authorized in the United States are expected to protect against serious illness, hospitalizations, and death in people infected with the Omicron variant, especially for people who have received a booster. COVID-19 vaccines are now authorized for people ages 5 and over. Moderately or severely immunocompromised people ages 5 and over should receive an additional primary dose of vaccine 28 days after their second shot. The COVID-19 booster shots are authorized for all people ages 12 and over. To find a vaccine near you, visit Vaccines.gov.
  • Wear a mask. Masks offer protection against all variants. It is recommended that people in Kansas wear a well-fitting mask in public indoor settings, where COVID-19 transmission remains high, regardless of vaccination status.
  • Get tested. If you are sick or have been in close contact with someone diagnosed with COVID-19, it is recommended that you get tested for COVID-19. COVID-19 tests are available across Kansas. Go to KnowBeforeYouGoKS.com to find a free testing location near you.    At-home tests are available for purchase at grocery stores and pharmacies. If a positive result is received through an at-home test, people should follow up with a health care provider for a confirmation test.
  • Social distance. People should avoid large gatherings and stay at least 6 feet from others when in public settings, especially if you are at higher risk of getting sick.

Food, Government, Kansas

Emergency Food Assistance Benefits Extended for 63,000 Kansas households

Leave a comment

 

TOPEKA – In an effort to continue supporting Kansans as they manage the impacts of COVID-19 and the multiple variants of the virus, the Kansas Department for Children and Families (DCF) announced the continuation of the emergency food assistance (SNAP) benefits to current participants.

The extension will increase the maximum monthly benefit for 63,000 households across the state and deliver an additional $14,591,000 per month to Kansas.

“Our goal at DCF is to protect children and strengthen families,” DCF Secretary Laura Howard said. “The extension of the emergency food assistance benefits will help ensure Kansas families continue to have access to healthy groceries and basic necessities.”

The continuance of the emergency allotment is effective through July 31, 2022, or upon the termination of the federal declaration of a Public Health Emergency, whichever occurs sooner. This is the second instance the emergency food assistance benefit has been extended.

No application is necessary to receive the emergency food assistance funds. The distribution will continue to follow the standard alphabetical schedule.

Those who do not currently receive food assistance, but are interested in applying, are encouraged to visit the DCF website at www.dcf.ks.gov.

Secretary Howard issued the Declaration of Continuing Benefits due to COVID-19 — under K.S.A. 39-708c, et seq. — which directs the agency to continue taking all necessary actions to address the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic throughout the State of Kansas.

Government, Kansas

Ks Cybersecurity Task Force Report Released

Leave a comment

Governor Laura Kelly Announces the Release of the Cybersecurity Task Force Final Report

TOPEKA – Governor Laura Kelly announced today the release of the Cybersecurity Task Force’s final report. In the Task Force’s report of forty-one recommendations, they identified seventeen as critical. These critical recommendations are essential to the implementation of other recommendations, or in the absence of resources, these critical recommendations should be implemented for greatest impact.

“These cyber security recommendations put Kansas on a path to be proactive in securing our data while also growing our workforce,” Governor Laura Kelly said. “Thanks to the Task Force for your hard work and diligence these last five months. It’s never been more important to strengthen our cybersecurity.”

The Task Force began meeting regularly in August and delivered its first report, an interim report, in early October. The final report, submitted in early December, is the result of several more months of meeting with stakeholders from across and outside of Kansas to help identify both the gaps and capabilities in Kansas’ cybersecurity posture.

“Important to us was to provide the Governor with actionable recommendations that can increase the cybersecurity posture of Kansas and grow its cybersecurity workforce,” said co-chairs Mike Mayta and Jeff Maxon. “After meeting with stakeholders, we feel confident in the potential that Kansas possesses. Countless efforts are happening locally and at a regional level, and our recommendations aim to bring those efforts together and scale them so they can strengthen Kansas as a whole.”

In addition to meeting with stakeholders, the Task Force solicited public feedback to help determine new recommendations for inclusion in the final report as well as any refining of the recommendations first published in the interim report.

The final report includes five new recommendations while consolidating and streamlining others, taking the report from forty-five to forty-one recommendations. Recommendations are organized by subject areas such as Cybersecurity Governance and Strategy and Incident Response Exercises and Training while also giving some recommendations priority distinction of critical or high. The Task Force identified these critical and high priority recommendations as ones that are critical to the implementation of others while also having significant impacts on cybersecurity.

The Task Force’s final report can be found here.

The Task Force’s interim report can be found here.

Fort Scott Community College, Gordon Parks Museum, History, Kansas

In Celebration of Martin Luther King Jr.: Lunch and Learn

Leave a comment

There will be a Lunch and Learn about segragation practices in Wichita in the 1950s on Monday, January 17th, 2022, from 12 p.m. – 1 p.m. at the Danny and Willa Ellis Family Fine Arts Center on the campus of Fort Scott Community College.

Attendance is free.

Lunch provided by Luther’s BBQ (visitors may bring their own lunch)
Drinks and desserts provided by Great Western Dining.

The event is called Martin Luther King, Jr.  Lunch and Learn  “Dockum Drugstore Sit-In”

The presentation explores Wichita’s Dockum Drugstore Sit-In
Guest Speaker is  Prisca Barnes.

In July 1958, Black Students gathered at Wichita’s Dockum Drugstore to stage a peaceful protest against the unequal practice of segregation. Although this protest was not publicized in the newspapers in 1958, the students participating in the demonstration worked to gain access to public spaces, like movie theaters and restaurants. This presentation discusses the details of the sit-in, explores how these protests helped transform the struggle for racial equality, and considers contemporary non-violent protests.

Prisca Barnes is the founder of Storytime Village, Inc., a nonprofit organization in Wichita that promotes reading among low-income children and families. She is a passionate advocate for equity in education and literacy.

“The Dockum Drugstore Sit-In” is part of Humanities Kansas’s Movement of Ideas Speakers Bureau, featuring presentations and workshops designed to share stories that inspire, spark conversations that inform, and generate insights that strengthen civic engagement.

For more information about “The Dockum Drugstore Sit-In” contact the Gordon Parks Museum.

Government, Kansas

Tax Collections Surpass the Estimate by $64.5 Million

Leave a comment

December Total Tax Collections Surpass the Estimate by $64.5 Million

 TOPEKA – Governor Laura Kelly announced that total tax collections for December were $890.3 million. That is $64.5 million, or 7.8%, more than the monthly estimate. That is also a 15.6%, or $120.0 million, growth over December 2020.

“Over the past three years my administration has taken steps to restore the Kansas economy, and that fiscal responsibility has paved the way to provide direct tax relief to Kansas taxpayers,” Governor Laura Kelly said. “That relief will come specifically through proposals like axing the food tax and offering a one-time $250 tax rebate for Kansas families.”

Individual income tax collections were $355.2 million. That is $35.2 million more than the estimate and $48.5 million, or 15.8%, more than the previous December. Corporate income tax collections were $132.0 million, which is $22.0 million more than the estimate. That is 33.1%, or $32.8 million, more than the same month of the previous year.

Retail sales tax collections were $224.3 million for December. That is $4.3 million, or 2.0%, more than the estimate and 11.1%, or $22.4 million, more than December 2020. Compensating use tax collections were $69.2 million. That is $2.2 million, or 3.3%, more than the estimate. Those collections are also $17.0 million, or 32.7%, more than the previous December.

View the tax receipts here.

Food, Government, Kansas

Kansas Issues Fish Consumption Advisories for 2022

Leave a comment

 

TOPEKA –The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) and the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks (KDWP) are issuing fish consumption advisories for 2022. The advisories identify types of fish or other aquatic animals that should be eaten in limited quantities or, in some cases, avoided altogether because of contamination. General advice and internet resources are provided to aid the public in making informed decisions regarding the benefits and the risks associated with eating locally caught fish from Kansas waters.

Definitions:

Bottom-feeding fish: buffaloes, carps, catfishes, sturgeons and suckers.

Shellfish: mussels, clams and crayfish.

Serving size (skinless fish fillets before cooking):

  • Adults and children age 13 and older = 8 ounces
  • Children age 6 to 12 = 4 ounces
  • Children younger than 6 = 2 ounces

Statewide Mercury Advisories for Fish:

Getting outside to catch fish and eating fish has many health benefits, but all fish contain some amount of mercury. Anyone who routinely eats fish or serves fish to their children should carefully consider the types and amounts they eat, including store-bought fish. Too much dietary mercury can harm the development of fetuses, nursing babies and growing children. Therefore, mercury-sensitive individuals (women who are pregnant, nursing, or may become pregnant, and children younger than 17 years old) should follow the guidelines presented below for eating fish caught in Kansas.

Fishing and Eating Guidelines:

  • Eat smaller portions – a fillet about the size of your palm.
  • Eat types of fish with less mercury (Preferred Choice Fish in the chart below).
  • If you don’t know the type or size of fish you are eating, wait at least a week before eating fish again.
  • When fishing, keep fish shorter than your forearm (fingertips to elbow) or less than 20 inches as regulations allow.

 

Preferred Choice Fish Servings
Blue and Channel Catfish

Common Carp

Crappies

White Bass, White Perch, Wiper, Striped Bass

Walleye, Sauger, Saugeye

Bullhead Catfish

Drum

Sunfish (Bluegill, Green, Redear, etc.)

 1 or 2

per week

 

Second Choice Fish Servings
Buffaloes (Black, Bigmouth, Smallmouth)

Flathead Catfish

Bass (Largemouth, Smallmouth, and Spotted)

 1 or 2

per month

Reduce the recommendations above if you tend to keep fish larger than about 20 inches to:

 

  • Preferred Choice Fish – not more than 1 serving per week
  • Second Choice Fish – not more than 1 serving per month

For specific questions or concerns about mercury in Kansas fish, please contact KDHE. For information about mercury in fish caught in other states, in store bought fish, and in other types seafood please visit the U.S. EPA and U.S. FDA websites.

Waterbody specific advisories for all consumers:

Kansas recommends restricting consumption of bottom-feeding fish and catfishes to 1 serving per week from the following locations because of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs):

  • Cow Creek in Hutchinson and downstream to the confluence with the Arkansas River (Reno County).
  • Kansas River from Lawrence (below Bowersock Dam) downstream to Eudora at the confluence of the Wakarusa River (Douglas and Leavenworth counties).
  • Little Arkansas River from the Main Street Bridge immediately west of Valley Center to the confluence with the Arkansas River in Wichita (Sedgwick County).

Kansas recommends restricting consumption of bottom-feeding fish and catfishes to 1 serving per month from the following location because of PCBs:

  • K-96 Lake in Wichita (Sedgwick County).

Kansas recommends not eating specified fish or aquatic life from the following locations:

  • Arkansas River from the Lincoln Street dam in Wichita downstream to the confluence with Cowskin Creek near Belle Plaine (Sedgwick and Sumner counties); bottom-feeding fish and catfishes due to PCBs.
  • Shoal Creek from the Missouri/Kansas border to Empire Lake (Cherokee County); shellfish due to lead and cadmium.
  • Spring River from the confluence of Center Creek to the Kansas/Oklahoma border (Cherokee County); shellfish due to lead and cadmium.
  • Antioch Park Lake South in Antioch Park, Overland Park (Johnson County); all fish due to pesticides dieldrin, heptachlor epoxide, chlordane and dichlorophenyltrichloroethanes (DDTs).
  • Arkalon Park Lakes in Liberal (Seward County) – Kansas recommends not eating any aquatic life because the lakes are sustained solely by treated municipal wastewater.

Waterbodies affected by Harmful Algae Blooms

To date, measured algal toxin levels in fish samples collected from waters affected by harmful algal blooms (HABs) suggest the fish are safe to eat.  However, please take the following precautions:

  • Avoid skin contact with water.
  • Wear gloves when handling wet fish and equipment.
  • Rinse fish with clean water.
  • Remove skin from fillets and rinse with clean water prior to cooking or freezing.
  • Eat only skinless fillets.
  • Do not eat shellfish.

General advice for reducing exposure to chemicals in fish

  • Keep smaller fish to eat and let the big ones go.
  • Avoid eating fish parts other than fillets.
  • Trim fat from fillets and/or use cooking methods that allows fat to drip away.
  • Avoid subsistence fishing (relying on wild-caught fish for daily nutritional needs) in rivers within or immediately downstream of large urban/industrial areas.
  • Do not eat fish or aquatic life from wastewater outfalls, waste treatment lagoons or stormwater retention ponds.

Other information from KDHE, KDWPT, EPA, and the American Heart Association

To view the advisories online and for information about KDHE’s Fish Tissue Contaminant Monitoring Program please visit the website at http://www.kdheks.gov/befs/fish_tissue_monitoring.htm.

For information about fishing in Kansas including licensing, regulations, fishing reports and fishing forecasts please visit the KDWPT fishing website http://ksoutdoors.com/Fishing.

For information about the health benefits vs. the risks of including fish in your diet please visit this American Heart Association website https://www.heart.org/en/news/2018/05/25/eating-fish-twice-a-week-reduces-heart-stroke-risk.

For technical information regarding the U.S. EPA risk assessment methods used to determine advisory consumption limits please visit http://www2.epa.gov/fish-tech.

Government, Health Care, Kansas

Kansas sees a 54% increase in drug overdoses in first 6 months of 2021 

Leave a comment

 

TOPEKA – The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) continues to highlight the importance of overdose prevention resources and education amid increased drug overdose deaths in 2021. Provisional surveillance results from the State Unintentional Drug Overdose Reporting System (SUDORS) show that at least 338 Kansas residents have died of drug overdose between January 1, 2021 and June 30, 2021. The tally represents a 54% increase from the 220 drug overdose deaths identified by SUDORS surveillance in the same 6-month time frame in 2020. Provisional data represents the most current estimates and is subject to change.

SUDORS collects information regarding unintentional and undetermined intent drug overdose deaths. It combines various data sources, including death certificates, medical examiner and coroner reports, and law enforcement reports to provide insight into circumstances surrounding overdose deaths. SUDORS is administered by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and more information can be found on their website.

Of the provisional 338 deaths, 149 involved fentanyl or fentanyl analogs, 149 involved methamphetamine and 40 involved other licit and illicit drugs, such as cocaine, benzodiazepines and prescription opioids. More than one drug can be involved in a fatal drug overdose, so these values are not mutually exclusive.

Fentanyl continues to drive the uptick in fatal drug overdoses in Kansas. This is largely attributed to increased availability, accessibility and use of illegally manufactured fentanyl statewide. Fentanyl is a powerful synthetic opioid that is often combined with other drugs, such as heroin and cocaine, or used as a standalone drug. Due to its potency, fentanyl-involved overdoses have a fast onset and may be difficult to reverse.

There are several resources available to prevent drug overdoses. Recovery from SUD is possible. Those in need of help can call Kansas’s SUD hotline at 866-645-8216 or visit FindTreatment.gov to locate treatment services. People who use drugs and their support networks have access to naloxone and are trained in overdose recognition and naloxone administration procedures. Naloxone is a medication that reverses the effects of opioid overdoses. Kansas allows pharmacists to dispense naloxone to patients without a prescription pursuant to KAR 68-7-23. Visit ktracs.ks.gov/pharmacists/naloxone-dispensing to find a naloxone-dispensing pharmacy near you.

DCCCA, Inc. has a naloxone program that is funded by the Kansas Department of Aging and Disability Services (KDADS) through the State Opioid Response (SOR) grant. DCCCA has a limited supply of naloxone kits available for those who are unable to access it through a local pharmacy or other means. Additionally, DCCCA offers free naloxone training. Please visit dccca.org/naloxone-program for more information.

Please visit PreventOverdoseKS.org for resources, epidemiological data, and more information on Kansas’s efforts to prevent drug overdoses.

Food, Government, Kansas

K-State Virtual Workshops on Selling Food Directly to Consumers Offered

Leave a comment

MANHATTAN, Kansas — The Kansas Department of Agriculture and K-State Research and Extension will offer virtual workshops January 31–February 4, 2022, to assist farmers’ market vendors and managers, and also for those wanting to sell food products directly to consumers. The workshop series includes four online Lunch and Learn sessions, followed by a half-day virtual workshop. Some K-State Research and Extension offices will be offering in-person watch parties for the February 4 half-day workshop.

“Over the past two years, we’ve seen an increase in people’s enthusiasm for locally sourced food, and these workshops will address common questions and concerns for farmers and small businesses who are embracing these opportunities to reach local consumers,” said Londa Nwadike, food safety specialist with K-State Research and Extension and the University of Missouri. “It’s also important for farmers to understand certain legal, safety and financial parameters before choosing to sell either directly to the consumer or at a farmers’ market.” In 2021, 89 farmers’ markets were registered with KDA’s Central Registration of Farmers’ Markets.

Dates and topics for each Lunch and Learn online session are as follows:

Monday, Jan. 31, noon to 1 p.m.: Food Safety for Value-Added Food Products

Tuesday, Feb. 1, noon to 1 p.m.: Sales Tax, Food Packaging, and How to Care for your Certified Scales

Wednesday, Feb. 2, noon to 1 p.m.: Meat and Poultry, Kansas Value Added Meats Lab

Thursday, Feb. 3, noon to 1 p.m.: Accepting EBT/SNAP & Double Up Food Bucks

The half-day virtual workshop on Friday, Feb. 4, 8:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., will cover topics such as How to Market your Market and Booth, How to Identify Common Legal Risks, Senior Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program, Vegetable Production, From the Land of Kansas program, and resources available from KSRE. Keynote speaker Brian Coppom, Colorado Department of Agriculture, will also be discussing Best Practices for Business Success when it comes to farmers’ markets.

KDA’s weights and measures program will offer free scale certification with a paid registration to an online workshop.

Registration for the January/February virtual workshops is now open. The cost is $5 per participant. Register at www.fromthelandofkansas.com/FMWorkshop.

For more information, contact Janelle Dobbins, KDA’s From the Land of Kansas marketing manager, at 785-564-6759 or [email protected]. The workshops are funded by the Kansas Center for Sustainable Agriculture and Alternative Crops, the Kansas Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program, and the Kansas Department of Agriculture.

KDA is committed to providing an environment that enhances and encourages economic growth of the agriculture industry and the Kansas economy. Kansas farmers’ markets not only provide a fresh food source, but also stimulate the local economy. The Kansas Ag Growth Strategy has identified training for small companies via workshops as a key growth outcome for the specialty crop sector. The farmers’ market/direct-to-consumer workshops will provide education through partnerships to help make Kansas farmers, ranchers and agribusinesses more successful.

COVID-19, Government, Kansas

KDHE Updates Isolation and Quarantine Guidance  

Leave a comment

TOPEKA – The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) has updated the isolation and quarantine guidance following the recent changes by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for health care workers in a hospital setting and the general population. CDC is in the process of updating guidance for other settings such as correctional facilities, long-term care facilities, preschool, K-12 schools and institutions of higher education.

Health Care Workers in a Hospital Setting

  • Health care workers with lab confirmed COVID-19 infections should isolate for 10 days OR 7 days with negative test, if asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic (with improving symptoms).
  • Health care workers with COVID-19 who are asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic can return to work only with COVID-19 positive patients during the remainder of the 10-day infectious period.
  • Boosted and asymptomatic health care workers who are close contacts of a person with confirmed COVID-19 infection have no work restrictions with negative test on days 2 and 5-7.
  • Not boosted and unvaccinated asymptomatic health care workers who are close contacts of a person with confirmed COVID-19 infection must quarantine for 10 days OR 7 days with a negative test.

General Population 

The general population does not include people who work in a health care setting or other congregate setting. If individuals develop symptoms, they should get a test and stay home.

  • People with lab confirmed COVID-19 infections, regardless of vaccination status should stay home for 5 days. If you have no symptoms or your symptoms are resolving after 5 days and you are fever-free for 24 hours without the use of fever reducing medications, you can leave your house. Individuals should continue to wear a mask around others for 5 additional days.
  • Boosted or fully vaccinated individuals with Pfizer/Moderna within last 6 months or Johnson & Johnson within last 2 months who are close contacts of a person with confirmed COVID-19 infection do NOT have to stay home and should wear a mask around others for 10 days. If possible, individuals should get tested on day 5.
  • People who are unvaccinated OR have completed the primary series of Pfizer/Moderna vaccine over 6 months ago and are not boosted OR completed the primary series of Johnson & Johnson over 2 months ago and are not boosted who are close contacts of a person with confirmed COVID-19 infection should stay home for 5 days. After that continue to wear a mask around others for 5 additional days. If unable to quarantine, individuals must wear a mask for 10 days. If possible, individuals should get tested on day 5.