BOOKED: Hannah Kennedy of Hutchinson on a Barton County District Court case for possession of methamphetamine, driving with no DL, illegal tag, no insurance and illegal window tint, bond set at $10,000 C/S.
RELEASED: Hannah Kennedy of Hutchinson on a Barton County District Court case for possession of methamphetamine, driving with no DL, illegal tag, no insurance and illegal window tint after posting a $10,000 surety bond through Dyn-O-Mite Bonding.
RELEASED: Jose Villegas of Great Bend on GBMC case after completion of serve sentence.
Construction on the 10th Street and Grant Street intersection is still scheduled to get underway next Monday in Great Bend.
In an effort to widen the intersection for vehicles turning north or south onto Grant, the City of Great Bend has been working with the Kansas Department of Transportation to receive funding.
While the push to widen the intersection has existed for years, Public Works Director Simon Wiley says motorists will have to wait a few more months before it is finished.
Simon Wiley Audio
Weather permitting, the repairs have an 85-day working-day contract to wrap up by the middle of July.
Sreehitha Kadiyala noted there will never be a closure to 10th Street but motorists will see traffic reduced to one lane once construction starts on 10th, but crews from Morgan Brothers’ Construction will start with Grant.
Sreehitha Kadiyala Audio
The project is funded through a KDOT grant which requires 10 percent City matching funds. The city is committing matching funds in the amount of $214,000 for the project that will widen the intersection.
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) and Tina Smith (D-Minn.) today reintroduced the Cancer Drug Parity Act to bring down healthcare costs for cancer patients by making certain insurance companies cover orally administered cancer drugs in the same way as traditional intravenous (IV) chemotherapy.
“As the number of orally administered cancer drugs increase each year, patients ought to be able to immediately benefit from these medical advancements,” said Sen. Moran. “This sensible legislation would keep health insurance on pace with the latest cancer treatments, build on laws already implemented in 43 states and expand access to orally administered cancer drugs for 100 million individuals covered through group and individual health plans. I am a strong supporter of medical research to find new treatments, therapies and cures, and I will work to make certain these cutting-edge treatments can reach cancer patients and ultimately save lives.”
“Advances in cancer treatment have made it possible for Americans to get life-saving oral cancer medication. This means people can now take the life-saving medicine they need without having to leave their homes, and in a far less intrusive way than traditional IV chemotherapy,” said Sen. Smith. “But since oral cancer medications are self-administered, many people are having to shell out more dollars because this medication isn’t covered the same way as IV treatments. I’m reintroducing my bipartisan bill with Senator Jerry Moran of Kansas to put a stop to charging more for oral cancer drugs because we should be doing all we can to make life-saving cancer treatment more affordable for all Americans.”
“Science is dramatically changing the way cancer is treated. Even with these breakthroughs, too many cancer patients can’t access their treatments because insurance rules have not kept pace with innovation,” said Louis J. DeGennaro, Ph.D., President and CEO of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. “The Cancer Drug Parity Act will eliminate the financial barriers that stand between many cancer patients and the breakthrough treatments that could save their lives. The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society applauds Senator Smith and Senator Moran for their leadership on behalf of cancer patients and stands ready to work with Congress to move this important bill forward.”
Currently, over 40 states – including Kansas and Minnesota – and the District of Columbia have passed “oral parity” laws that stop insurers from charging more for prescribed orally administered cancer medicine than traditional (IV) chemotherapy. The Cancer Drug Parity Act would build on this work by expanding these protections at the federal level.
The Cancer Drug Parity Act would prevent insurers from covering oral and self-administered medicines at different cost sharing rates than traditional IV chemotherapy. It would not mandate that healthcare plans provide chemotherapy coverage, but rather only apply to plans already covering chemotherapy.
This bipartisan legislation is cosponsored by U.S. Senators Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) and Roger Wicker (R-Miss.).
The Cancer Drug Parity Act has broad support from a number of organizations, including AIM at Melanoma, American Cancer Society, Cancer Action Network, American Society of Clinical Oncology, American Society of Hematology, Aplastic Anemia and MDS International Foundation, Association of Community Cancer Centers, Association of American Cancer Institutes, Astellas Pharma US, CancerCare, Cancer Support Community, Celgene, Community Oncology Alliance, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Debbie’s Dream Foundation: Curing Stomach Cancer, Facing Our Risk of Cancer Empowered (FORCE), Fight Colorectal Cancer, Genentech, Inc., Hematology/Oncology Pharmacy Association, International Myeloma Foundation, Karmanos Cancer Institute, Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, LUNGevity, Lymphoma Research Foundation, Millennium: The Takeda Oncology Co., Medical College of Wisconsin, National Brain Tumor Society, National Patient Advocate Foundation, Oncology Nursing Society, Ovarian Cancer Research Alliance, Patient Services, Incorporated, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Susan G. Komen, The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center-James Cancer Hospital and Richard J Solove Institute, WVU Medicine and Zero – The End of Prostate Cancer.
Items to note:
A summary of the legislation can be found here, and full text of the bill can be found here.
On December 12, 2018, Sens. Moran and Smith first introduced this legislation.
On December 14, 2018, numerous organizations and individuals expressed their support for the Cancer Drug Parity Act.
Jeff Yalden is a celebrity teen and family life coach. He digs deep and gets to the heart of the matter – helping teenagers, young adults, families, and communities successfully navigate through life’s every day struggles and find real solutions to the challenges that come their way.
The Foundation at the University of Kansas Health System – Pawnee Valley Campus is bringing Yalden to speak at their next Community Conversations gathering on Tuesday, March 19.
Julie Bugner-Smith, Director of the Foundation, says Yalden will discuss the many faces of mental health.
Julie Bugner-Smith Audio
The presentation will be next Tuesday at 7 p.m. at the Larned Middle School gym, 904 Corse Avenue. The event is free to the public.
Julie Bugner-Smith Audio
Approximately 9.5 percent of American adults ages 18 and over will suffer from a depressive illness whether it be major depression, bipolar disorder, or dysthymia.
Pawnee Valley encourages anyone to come to see how they can make a difference and help someone in need.
Some patients are apprehensive before a colonoscopy but when the procedure is over, many express the same sentiment: “It was the best nap of my life,” said Sarah Corn, MD.
Dr. Corn is a general surgeon at The University of Kansas Health System Great Bend Campus where she sees patients and performs surgeries and procedures. Since one of those procedures is colonoscopy, Dr. Corn wanted to share information during March, which is Colon Cancer Awareness Month.
“A colonoscopy is not nearly as terrible as you think it is going to be,” Dr. Corn said. “You don’t notice or feel anything while it is happening.“
“And even more important, colon cancer is one of the few cancers that can be prevented by screening. If polyps are detected, they are removed immediately.”
Dr. Corn noted that she hears two questions from patients on a regular basis. Some want to know about using Cologuard, which is a test taken at home.
“It determines the risk of cancer,” Dr. Corn said. “If it is positive the patient needs a colonoscopy anyway.”
“The other common question is ‘When do I stop getting colonoscopies?’” the surgeon said. “If you expect to live more than five years in your current state of health, you probably should have a colonoscopy. Or at least talk to your doctor about it.”
A colonoscopy, which usually takes less than an hour, is performed with an endoscope when the patient is under IV sedation. The endoscope is a narrow, flexible tube equipped with a light and camera, which allows the physician to watch a live video of the gastrointestinal tract on a monitor.
Preparation the day before the procedure involves drinking a cocktail of MiraLAX and Gatorade to clear the GI tract.
“This allows us to get a clear picture,” Dr. Corn said. “If something is in the way, I cannot see the polyps that need to be removed.”
Symptoms of colon cancer may include abdominal pain, blood in the stool or skinny stools.
“However,” Dr. Corn cautioned, “most people don’t have any symptoms. This is why regular screenings are so important.”
Risks for the disease include family history, caffeine, smoking, being overweight, alcohol use, old age and inactivity.
If family history is not an issue, the first colonoscopy is recommended at age 45. If an immediate family member has colon cancer, it is strongly suggested that screenings start 10 years earlier than the family member’s diagnosis. For example, if a parent was diagnosed at age 30, a child should have the first colonoscopy at age 20.
American Cancer Society statistics include:
In the United States, colorectal cancer is the third-leading cause of cancer-related deaths in men and women.
It is expected to cause more than 51,000 deaths this year.
The death rate is dropping because of screenings, earlier detection and improved treatment.
On February 25, the Federal Emergency Management Agency announced that Barton County was one of 12 Kansas counties that was included in the President’s Disaster Declaration for Kansas. The declaration is for areas affected by severe storms, straight-line winds, and flooding from October 4-15, 2018.
Barton County Emergency Risk Manager Amy Miller informed Commissioners this week about a meeting taking place next Monday that will begin the process of providing assistance to supplement state and local recovery efforts.
Amy Miller Audio
The meeting will begin at 1 p.m. in the lower level conference room at the courthouse.
Federal funding is available to the state and eligible local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations on a cost-sharing basis for emergency work and the repair or replacement of facilities damaged by severe storms.
Other Kansas Counties that were part of the declaration included Anderson, Cowley, Doniphan, Greenwood, Harvey, Kingman, Neosho, Pratt, Reno, Rice, and Sumner counties.
BOOKED: Charles Bowers of Great Bend on GBMC warrant for contempt, bond set at $9,325 or 27 days. GBMC warrant for contempt, bond set at $889.99 cash or 30 days in jail. GBMC warrant for contempt, bond set at $528.75 cash or 88 days in jail.
BOOKED: Melvin Gray on Rush County District Court case for possession of a stimulant with one prior conviction, interference LEO, possession of stolen property with a bond of $25,000 C/S.
BOOKED: Sandra M. Thompson on Barton County District Court warrant for failure to appear, no bond. Pawnee County District Court warrant for probation violation, no bond. Russell County District Court warrant for probation violation, no bond. Rush County District Court case for possession of stimulant, interference with LEO, and possession of stolen property with a bond of $25,000 C/S.
BOOKED: Douglas Meredith of Great Bend on BTDC case for possession of methamphetamine, possession of marijuana, possession of paraphernalia with a bond set at $10,000 C/S.
BOOKED: Kristina Bolz of Hoisington on BTDC case for possession of methamphetamine, possession of marijuana, possession of paraphernalia, illegal tint, stop lamps, windshields, bond set at $10,0000 C/S.
RELEASED: Dakota Green of Great Bend for time served on BTDC case for probation violation.
RELEASED: Patrick Moody-Standlee of Great Bend on BTDC case to probation.
RELEASED: Arthur Herren of Great Bend on serve sentence in full on GBMC case.
RELEASED: Charles Joseph Rowe Jr. on BCDC case with a serve sentence.
RELEASED: Melvin Gray on Rush County District Court case for possession of a stimulant with one prior conviction, interference LEO, possession of stolen property after posting a $25,000 surety bond through Ace Bail Bonding.
AURORA, Colo. — A man accused of committing multiple thefts and sexual assaults days after he was released from a Kansas prison last month is now suspected of raping an au pair at knifepoint in a Cherry Hills Village home in the middle of the day, court documents obtained by The Sentinel reveal.
Tre Carrasco photo Arapahoe Co. Sheriff
Tre Carrasco, 24, is facing a litany of charges after police say he broke into a Cherry Hills Village home around 11:30 a.m. on Feb. 12 and violently sexually assaulted a woman working as an au pair in the home.
The woman told investigators a man believed to be Carrasco rang the doorbell of the Cherry Hills Village home and said “that he worked for the water company and he needed to check something in the backyard of the residence,” according to an arrest affidavit filed against him. The man then muscled his way into the home and walked the woman to the master bedroom at knifepoint.
There, he pinned her to the bed and raped her.
The man “kept calling her a b*** and (told) her to shut up and listen to him,” according to the affidavit.
The woman repeatedly tried to run out of the room and push the man off of her, “but he was too strong,” according to the affidavit.
Carrasco is described as being 5 feet, 9 inches tall and weighing about 180 pounds, according to Colorado Bureau of Investigation records.
After the sexual assault, the man stole about $100 from the woman’s wallet, which was in her bedroom in another part of the home. The man rummaged through drawers and a backpack containing “laptop computers and other high end electronics,” according to the affidavit. However, he passed over the expensive items as he “only wanted cash,” according to the arrest document.
The au pair was from Mexico and had been living with a Cherry Hills Village family through the Culture Care Au Pair program for about one month, according to the arrest document. She returned to her home in Mexico the weekend after the crime occurred, according to investigator interviews.
The au pair called the homeowners and police dispatchers immediately after the man ran out of the house and headed north, according to the affidavit.
Surveillance videos taken from several neighbors’ homes showed a man believed to be Carrasco was inside the home for about 12 minutes. He had cased the home for nearly eight minutes before eventually entering.
Investigators used the home surveillance footage, police sketches and conversations with detectives in Hays to pin Carrasco to the crime.
Carrasco was named as a suspect in at least six other crimes that were sexual in nature between November 2008 and July 2011 in Hays, according to the Cherry Hills Village affidavit.
Hays investigators told Cherry Hills Village police “over time, the seriousness of the history (of Carrasco’s crimes) has escalated.”
In 2008 and 2009, Carrasco was suspected of peeping into windows, apparently in an effort to spy on women, as well as tickling and touching women’s feet and legs as they slept.
In June 2010, Carrasco was suspected of raping a woman in Hays. A year later, Carrasco was arrested after police said he chased a Hays woman walking on a street, beat her and violently sexually assaulted her.
In April 2013, Carrasco was sentenced to slightly more than eight years in prison for the July 2011 assault.
He incurred a litany of disciplinary infractions while in Kansas prisons between 2014 and 2018, including using stimulants, disobeying orders and disrespecting correctional officers.
Carrasco is a registered sex offender in Kansas, according to police.
Carrasco was released from prison in Kansas on Feb. 1, according to Kansas DOC records and reports published in The Wichita Eagle newspaper.
Two days after he was released, police say Carrasco raped a woman at gunpoint in the passenger seat of her car in Hays. Officials issued a warrant for his arrest that day.
On Feb. 7, police believe Carrasco attempted to kidnap a woman in Aurora while stealing her car outside of a 24-hour Fitness on South Abilene Street.
Police believe Carrasco entered the woman’s silver Toyota Camry before she could close the door behind her and said “scoot over or I’ll kill you,” according to another arrest affidavit filed against him. The woman was able to get out of the car before the man — believed to be Carrasco — drove out of the Aurora gym’s parking lot.
Investigators later determined Carrasco drove to the home where he raped the woman in Cherry Hills Village in the same car he stole from the woman in Aurora.
Aurora police arrested Carrasco on Feb. 12 — the same day investigators believe he sexually assaulted the au pair in Cherry Hills Village — after local SWAT officers “conducted a high risk stop” on the car the Kansas native was suspected to have stolen.
The victim of the Aurora carjacking identified Carrasco in a police lineup the same day he was arrested in part by comparing him to the R&B star The Weeknd.
Carrasco is currently being held at the Arapahoe County Jail. It is unclear when or if he could be extradited to Kansas to face charges there.
Carrasco was advised of the charges filed against him in the Cherry Hills Village Case in Arapahoe District Court at 9 a.m. on Monday, according to court records.
His bond in that case was set at $1 million, according to Vikki Migoya, spokeswoman for the 18th Judicial District Attorney’s Office.
Carrasco is scheduled to appear for a preliminary demand hearing in his Aurora attempted kidnapping case at 1:30 p.m. on March 12 in division 302, according to the local District Attorney’s Office.
The December 2018 unemployment for the State of Kansas was 3.3 percent, with the national average at 3.9 percent. In Barton County, the unemployment rate was 3.4 percent. These are all relatively low numbers compared to recent years. If there is such a thing as a negative to low unemployment numbers in rural Kansas, it would be the difficulty filling open jobs.
Great Bend City Council member Chad Somers noted the importance of filling in-demand jobs at last month’s meeting.
Chad Somers Audio
The Great Bend Job Fest is coming up April 25 at the Great Bend Events Center from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. for businesses looking to fill open positions and jobseekers in search of a new career.
Somers felt it was key to keep promoting the City of Great Bend to fill up as many vacancies as possible.
Chad Somers Audio
The surrounding counties’ unemployment rates as of December 2018 had Ellis at 2.1 percent, Russell 2.6, Ellsworth 2.6, Rice 2.8, Stafford 2.4, and Pawnee at 3.1 percent.
BOOKED: Hannah Kennedy of Hutchinson on a Barton County District Court case for possession of methamphetamine, driving with no DL, illegal tag, no insurance and illegal window tint, bond set at $10,000 C/S.
On February 25, the Federal Emergency Management Agency announced that Barton County was one of 12 Kansas counties that was included in the President’s Disaster Declaration for Kansas. The declaration is for areas affected by severe storms, straight-line winds, and flooding from October 4-15, 2018.
