Eric Allen Daily News 2/3
Groundwater Management District #3 Update 2/3
KDOT SWKS Update 2/3
Weather Service Tracks Incoming Winter Storm

By the Associated Press

February 2

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - A powerful winter storm system that could dump a dozen inches of snow in blizzard conditions has been forecast for Nebraska and portions of adjacent states. A blizzard warning has been issued for three southwest Nebraska counties and nearby portions of Kansas and Colorado.

The National Weather Service says the warnings take effect at 11 p.m. MST Thursday. A blizzard watch extends to the northeast. Winter storm warnings and watches have been issued to take effect later Thursday or on Friday for the rest of Nebraska and much of southeast Wyoming, northeast Colorado, northwest Kansas and western Iowa. The service says the storm is expected to move into Nebraska late Thursday night and last into Saturday. Rain is expected to precede the snowfall in many areas.

For a breakdown of the winter weather in southwest Kansas, click here.
Bands Needed for Summer Series in Garden City

By Eric Allen

February 2

The call is going out once again for bands needed to play music later this year for the Stevens Park Summer Concert Series in Garden City. Organizers with the Garden City Recreation Commission say the concerts are free to the public, but the bands will be paid for their performances. The bands will be chosen by a selection committee this spring. Applications and demos will be accepted until February 17.

Applications can be picked up at the Garden City Recreation Commission in Garden City, or downloaded at their website, www.gcrec.com.

Big Brothers, Big Sisters Update 2/1
USD 457 Events Update 2/1
Spring Turkey Permits Limited in Western Kansas

By Eric Allen

January 31

State wildlife officials have announced that only 500 spring turkey permits will be available to hunters in western Kansas this year. Officials with the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism say there are 500 permits for Unit 4, which is bordered by I-70 on the north, US183 on the east, and US54 on the south.

Applications will not be offered in paper form this year. Hunters must apply online at the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks, and Tourism website (click here), or by phone at 620-672-0728. The deadline is February 10.

GCCC Academic Team Heading to Nationals

By Eric Allen

January 31

The Garden City Community College Academic Excellence Challenge Team is heading back to nationals. School officials say this year's team qualified last week at the Sectional Championships held in Concordia. The National Academic Quiz Tournament will be held in late February in Panama City, Florida. This will be GCCC's second national tournament appearance. 

The Academic Excellence Challenge tests college students' knowledge on academic topics and general knowledge during tournaments featuring question-and-answer rounds.

This year's GCCC team is: Brandon Salter, Tillie Hall, Bryan Lunzmann, Hunter Rowland.

Children's Author/Television Producer Shane DeRolf at Lee Richardson Zoo Story Hour
GCCC Update 1/30 (College Goal Sunday)
Finney County United Way Update 1/30
State Dog Proposed for Kansas

By the Associated Press

January 30

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) - The dog breed that played Toto in "The Wizard of Oz" might become a state symbol. At the request of a constituent, State Rep. Ed Trimmer has introduced a bill that would designate the Cairn Terrier as the official state dog of Kansas. Brenda Moore of Augusta, who works with the South Central Kansas Kennel Club, is pushing the idea. She says the breed was chosen
because of its role in the movie, to avoid any conflicts with owners of other dog breeds.
Trimmer told The Wichita Eagle that he knows the state faces serious issues and he hopes the Legislature does not spend a lot of time on the proposal. But he says he introduced it because his constituents thought it was important.

Birth Certificate Fee Waiver Coming to Kansas

By the Associated Press

January 30

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) - State officials say an affidavit needed to obtain a free Kansas birth certificate will be online sometime this week. A birth certificate is one of the documents that can be used to get a new voter photo identification. Under a new state law, people may use a birth certificate to get a photo ID if they don't have any of the other 12 acceptable items to prove U.S. citizenship.

An application to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment is required to get the free birth certificate and have the usual $15 fee waived. People also must swear they will use the birth certificate to obtain a voter photo ID or to register to vote. The Wichita Eagle reports the affidavits will be available at KDHE's website - www.kdheks.gov.
Kansas Headlines 2/3
By the Associated Press

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) - A local prosecutor is warning Kansas legislators and Governor Sam Brownback to preserve records and electronic files about gatherings at his official residence. Shawnee County District Attorney Chad Taylor says the records are evidence in an investigation into complaints that the sessions violated the state's open meetings law.
     
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) - Governor Sam Brownback is getting ready to fill a vacant Cabinet seat and sign an executive order that advances his plan to overhaul the state's Medicaid program by reorganizing three state agencies. The Republican's staff isn't saying what major administrative position will be filled.
     
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) - A Kansas nurse who added tap water to a painkiller that was prescribed for a 105-year-old nursing home patient is set to be sentenced today. Federal prosecutors are recommending a three-year sentence for Wendy Parmenter. She'd be released early if she completes a residential drug treatment program.
     
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) - New state data shows that the number of Kansans who recycle has jumped dramatically. The report by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment says 85 percent of Kansans recycled in 2011, up from 65 percent the last time the survey was administered in 2005.
Hoxie Man Killed in Crash

By Eric Allen

February 2

A crash in western Kansas has killed one man. Authorities say the crash happened Tuesday morning around 4:21am in Gove County, one mile west of Grainfield on old Highway 40. Authorities say the driver of a 2000 Ford truck lost control of the vehicle and went into the ditch, causing the truck to overturn and eject the driver.

Authorities say the driver was killed in the crash, identified by the Kansas Highway Patrol as 19-year-old Nathan Barnhart of Hoxie. 

No other vehicles were involved in the crash, and no other injuries were reported.

Wednesdays With Jerry and Eric 2/1
Families Together, Inc. Preps Free Workshops
CASA Event Returns for 2nd Year
Lee Richardson Zoo Update 1/26 (85th Birthday Celebration)
Measles in Finney County: Fact Sheet

By Eric Allen

January 25

Health officials have now confirmed an additional two cases of measles in Finney County, bringing the total to 6 confirmed cases. Officials with the Finney County Health Department say all those at risk for the disease are being contacted while they continue their ongoing investigation.

The Finney County Health Department is reminding everyone about the facts and details of the measles disease, and its prevention. The following is a measles fact sheet provided by the Health Department, which can also be contacted with any questions at 272-3600.

 

Public Health Fact Sheet

What is measles?

Measles is a very contagious disease that usually lasts 1-2 weeks. Measles often causes ear infections and pneumonia. Deafness, blindness and seizure disorders are less common. Although rare, it may also cause swelling of the brain and death. Measles is most dangerous for infants, pregnant women, and people with weakened immune systems.

 

How is measles spread?

Measles is very contagious. It is spread when an infected person sneezes, coughs or talks and other people nearby inhale the virus. Touching tissues or sharing a cup used by someone who has measles can also spread it. People with measles can spread the disease starting 4 days before until 4 days after the rash begins. Initial symptoms appear 10–14 days after a person is exposed.

 

How serious is measles?

Measles itself is unpleasant, but the complications are dangerous. Six to 20 percent of the people who get the disease will get an ear infection, diarrhea, or even pneumonia. One out of 1000 people with measles will develop inflammation of the brain, and about one out of 1000 will die.

 

What are the symptoms of Measles?

A cough, high fever, runny nose, and red watery eyes are common initial symptoms. A few days later a red blotchy rash starts on the face and then spreads to the rest of the body.

 

Who gets measles?

Widespread use of measles vaccine has led to a greater than 99% reduction in measles cases in the United States compared with the pre-vaccine era. However, measles is still common in other countries, and we still see measles among visitors to the United States and among U.S. travelers returning from other countries. The measles viruses these travelers bring into our country sometimes cause outbreaks among certain groups, including:

  • Anyone who never had measles and has never been vaccinated.
  • Babies < 12 months old, because they are too young to be vaccinated.
  • Adults who were vaccinated before 1968, because some early vaccines did not give lasting protection.

 

How is measles diagnosed?

Because measles can look like other rash causing diseases, the only sure test for measles is a blood test.

 

How can you prevent measles?

  • Protect your children by having them vaccinated when they are 12–15 months old, and again when they are about to enter kindergarten. Measles vaccine is usually given in an immunization called MMR, which protects against mumps and rubella as well.
  • If you have been exposed to measles, talk to your doctor or nurse right away to see if you need a vaccination. If you get the vaccine less than 3 days (72 hours) after being exposed, it will help protect you against measles. People who cannot be vaccinated can be treated with immune globulin (IG) up to 6 days after exposure. IG may not prevent measles but it does make the disease milder.
  • People with measles should be kept away from people who are not immune until they are well again.

 

Is the MMR vaccine safe?

Yes, it is safe for most people. However, a vaccine, like any medicine, is capable of causing problems like fever, mild rash, temporary pain or stiffness in the joints, and allergic reactions. More severe problems are very rare. Getting MMR vaccine is much safer than getting measles, and most people do not have any problems with it.

 

Are there any health regulations to prevent measles?

State regulations do require every student enrolled or enrolling in a Kansas school to have proof of 2 doses of measles vaccine (MMR).  If a case is reported at a school or childcare setting, any persons at risk of becoming ill from measles, including those children with immunization exemptions, will be excluded from the school or childcare setting until 21 days after the onset of the last reported illness in the setting.  If the person at risk for measles disease is immunized or shows proof of immunization within 24 hours of a case being reported, the exclusion will not be needed. Regulations also require that anyone who has measles be isolated until 4 days after the rash appears. That means they must be kept away from public places like daycare centers, school and work. 

 

Where can I get more information?

  • Your Local Health Department (Finney County: 272-3600)
  • Kansas Department of Health and Environment, Epidemiologic Services Section (877) 427-7317
  • http://www.cdc.gov/health/default.htm
  • Your doctor, nurse, or local health center

(This fact sheet is for information only and is not intended for self-diagnosis or as a substitute for consultation. If you have any questions about the disease described above or think that you may have an infection, consult with your healthcare provider. This fact sheet is based on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's topic fact sheets.)
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Scott County farmer Chad Griffith recounts the night of his heart attack during the December 2011 blizzard, and how friends, strangers, EMS and KDOT road crews rallied to save his life:
Grain Elevator Explosion Update

By the Associated Press

February 3

ARLINGTON, Kan. (AP) - Residents who were evacuated after an explosion at a central Kansas grain elevator are back in their homes, as the investigation continues to determine what caused the blast. Reno County Sheriff Randy Henderson said residents of about a dozen homes were allowed to return home Thursday evening when the danger subsided at the Cairo Co-op elevator in Arlington. Kansas Highway 61 and a nearby and nearby rail line also reopened.
One employee, Tyler Stejskal of Arlington, is hospitalized after the explosion Thursday morning in the headhouse atop the elevator. The blast blew out windows in the headhouse and damaged a door. Reno County Emergency Management Director Bill Guy says it could be several days before investigators determine what caused the explosion.

Grain Elevator Explosion in Arlington, KS

By the Associated Press

February 2

ARLINGTON, Kan. (AP) - Federal inspectors have arrived at the scene of a central Kansas grain elevator explosion that injured one worker. The explosion was reported early Thursday at the Cairo Coop in Arlington, about 15 miles southwest of Hutchinson. Reno County Sheriff Randy Henderson said one employee was taken to a Wichita hospital with burns. The Hutchinson News reports that the worker was seriously injured, and that investigators from the Occupational Safety and Health
Administration have arrived at the scene.
Bill Guy, Reno County emergency management director, said the injured employee was at the base of the elevator when the explosion occurred. He said another employee at the elevator wasn't hurt. He said the cause is under investigation. Fire crews were also assessing the explosion site.

Western Kansas Soldiers Prepare to Deploy

By Eric Allen

February 2

About 80 soldiers from western Kansas are getting ready for overseas deployment. State officials with the Kansas Adjutant General's office say the National Guard members leaving are with the 170th Maintenance Company from Norton and Colby. They will deploy to southwest Asia to take part in a base security mission.

The soldiers have been training for several months; they will depart Sunday February 12 from Salina, where a ceremony will honor their mission. This is the first deployment for the 170th since Operation Desert Storm.

Federal Ruling Puts SWKS Power Plant on Hold

By the Associated Press

Bill Draper

February 1

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) - A federal judge in Washington ruled Tuesday that an environmental impact statement must be completed before construction of a southwest Kansas power plant can begin. The ruling by U.S. District Judge Emmett Sullivan requires the Rural Utilities Service, part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, to complete the environmental study before granting any approvals to Sunflower Electric Power Corp. for the proposed $2.8 billion, 875-megawatt coal-fired power plant near Holcomb. The decision is likely to delay construction of the plant, which has been the subject of a fierce partisan political fight in Kansas for years.
Sunflower spokeswoman Cindy Hertel said the utility's officials don't know yet how the ruling will affect its project outside Holcomb.

"We haven't had a chance to look at it, to fully digest it," she told The Associated Press.

In March, Sullivan declared that RUS violated federal environmental law by failing to prepare an EIS before approving Sunflower's proposal to build two 700-megawatt plants near the company's current coal-fired plant in Finney County. Tuesday's ruling was aimed at coming up with a remedy for the violations he declared last year.

"The people of Kansas and downwind states will now get their legitimate public health concerns heard," said Jan Hasselman of Earthjustice, who led the lawsuit on behalf of the Sierra Club. "Once the facts of this dirty and dangerous project are exposed to the public, we think that the federal government will have to just say no."

Sullivan's ruling was part of a lawsuit against RUS and Sunflower filed by the Sierra Club in October 2007. That's the same month that the Kansas Department of Health and Environment rejected an air quality permit, citing the plant's potential emissions of greenhouse gases linked by scientists to global warming. Then-Democratic Gov. Kathleen Sebelius backed the decision, and her dispute with the utility spilled over into the Republican-controlled Legislature. Lawmakers blocked legislation promoting renewable energy and tried unsuccessfully to override the permit denial. Almost immediately after Sebelius stepped down as governor in April 2009 to become U.S. health and human services secretary, her successor, Democrat Mark Parkinson, brokered a deal with Sunflower to allow one coal-fired plant. His effort cleared the way for passage of "green" legislation he favored. Parkinson left office in January, but Republican Gov. Sam Brownback is a strong supporter of the utility's plans.

Sullivan noted in his ruling that RUS - which must sign off on decisions related to the Sunflower project because of its past financial support and assistance in reorganizing the company - believes Sunflower should have sought its approval for the one-plant plan because it was so much different than what had been approved in 2007.

Senate President Steve Morris, a Hugoton Republican, said the need for the power plant hasn't changed, and the demand for jobs and more electricity continues to grow.

"I don't understand how another environmental impact statement could be different," Morris said. "I live in that part of the world. I know what the environment is like and the only thing that has changed is that we have been going through a severe drought." Morris said he had spoken recently with Sunflower officials who said they were committed to building the plant, which would have a $4 billion impact on the southwest Kansas economy during its construction phase. "I have confidence they will move forward. It will be a major source of power," he said. "Evidently the Sierra Club has convinced a federal judge that if they keep delaying it everyone will throw up their hands and it won't get built."

Sunflower supplies power for about 400,000 Kansans and wants to build a plant with enough capacity to meet the peak demands of 448,000 households, according to one state estimate. Three-quarters of the new capacity, or 695 megawatts, would be reserved for a Sunflower partner, Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association Inc., of Westminster, Colo. That's a sore point for many critics of Sunflower's plan, but the utility's supporters say exporting electricity is as beneficial as exporting beef, wheat and other agricultural commodities. Opponents say whatever economic development benefits come with construction of a new plant are offset by potential environmental harm, including increased pollutants in the air and potential mercury contamination.

"The financial and public health risks involved in the development of this project have always made it a bad deal for those of us who will have to breathe dirty air and pay unnecessary costs for this coal plant," said Garden City resident Lee Messenger, who opposes the new plant.
     ---
John Hanna and John Milburn in Topeka, Kan., also contributed to this report.
GCPD Update 1/31