Pawnee Valley Community Hospital, a 22-bed critical access hospital in Larned, rebranded on September 12 and was named The University of Kansas Health System Pawnee Valley Campus.

The hospital became part of The University of Kansas Health System in 2017, providing people who live in Pawnee County with greater access to care. The updated branding will better reflect the facility as a key part of The University of Kansas Health System.

“We are proud of the full comprehensive care The University of Kansas Health System Pawnee Valley Campus provides to our community, offering quality health care close to home along with access to the services the state’s only academic medical center, can provide. With a new name but same great care, we will continue to be a vital part of this community,” said Kendra Barker, Administrator.

Services available at Pawnee Valley Campus will not change and will still include emergency care, family medicine, physical and cardiac rehabilitation, sleep studies, acute and skilled nursing, wound care, special nursing services, imaging, laboratory services, as well as outreach specialty clinics. Patients will continue to see their current care provider, and do not need to reschedule or change appointments as the rebrand does not impact scheduling.

The University of Kansas Health System now includes The University of Kansas Hospital in Kansas City, HaysMed in Hays, The University of Kansas Health System Great Bend Campus in Great Bend, St. Rose
Health Center in Great Bend, and The University of Kansas Health System St. Francis Campus in Topeka (in partnership with Ardent Health Services), in addition to the Pawnee Valley Campus.

Barton County Sheriff’s Office Incident Log (9/12)

Narcotics Violation

At 10:11 a.m. a narcotics violation was reported at 1416 Kansas Avenue.

Great Bend Police Department Incident Log (9/12)

Theft

At 1:06 a.m. a theft was reported at 2011 30th Street.

Overdose / Poisoning

At 7:21 a.m. an officer responded to 1513 8th Street.

K9 Use / Call Out

At 8:06 a.m. a K9 demo was conducted at Lincoln Elementary School, 5630 Broadway Avenue.

Diabetic Problems

At 8:31 a.m. an EMS call was made at 2412 Forest Avenue.

Theft

At 11:46 a.m. theft of a dog kennel from his yard was reported at 917 Jefferson Street.

Non-Injury Accident

At 2:18 p.m. an accident was reported at 3503 10th Street.

BOOKED: Tammy Lowe of Great Bend on GBMC case for serve sentence.

BOOKED: Daniel Rodriguez-Jimenez of Great Bend on BTDC warrant for two counts of criminal threat, bond set at $5,000 C/S.

BOOKED: Casey Rhodes of Hoisington on HMC warrant for failure to appear, bond set at $190 cash only.

BOOKED: Fernando Acosta on Great Bend Municipal Court case for domestic battery, bond in lieu of $1,000.

BOOKED: Jared Johnston of Hoisington on Hoisington Municipal Court case for no proof of insurance and driving while suspended, bond set at $1,000 C/S.

RELEASED: Merced Olivas-Portillo of Great Bend on an 18-hour OR bond on Hoisington Municipal Court case for expired tags.

RELEASED: Courtney Veitenheimer of Great Bend on GBMC warrant for contempt of court x3, released by order of the court through Judge Pike.

RELEASED: Thelma Hernandez-Medina on GBMC case after receiving an order of release from GBMC.

RELEASED: Daniel Rodriguez-Jimenez of Great Bend posted a $5,000 surety through Ace Bail Bonding on BTDC case for two counts of criminal threat.

RELEASED: Aundria Pasek on BCDC warrant for theft, criminal trespass, and possession of drug paraphernalia after receiving a $2,500 OR.

RELEASED: Casey Rhodes of Hoisington on HMC warrant for failure to appear, posted bond of $190 cash.

RELEASED: Fernando Acosta on GBMC case for domestic battery after posting a $1,000 surety bond.

Josh Wells, Communications & Marketing Director for Doc’s Friends, a non-profit organization responsible for the restoration of the historic warbird was a guest Wednesday during a 2018 Great Bend Airfest Preview Show on 1590 KVGB and 97.7 FM. Doc along with the only other flying B-29 superfortress will be part of the 2018 Airfest at the Great Bend Muncipal Airport. Listen to the entire show.

USD 428 noted again that all their teaching positions are filled in some capacity for the 2018-2019 school year at Monday’s Board of Education meeting.

Discussion popped up about the use of long-term substitute teachers that have been inserted into classrooms this year.

USD 428 Assistant Superintendent John Popp says there are some substitutes that were told they were going to be working for the district all year, while others are more part-time until a licensed teacher can be hired. Popp added a handful of substitute teachers are working on their teacher’s license.

John Popp Audio

There are over 700 employees within USD 428, including administration. Trying to fill all the teacher vacancies each year has become more challenging. Going forward, Popp says staff will be trying to improve the currently hired teachers rather than look for a replacement because of the recruiting difficulties.

John Popp Audio

USD 428 realigned teaching positions in 2015 to include instructional coaches to each school. An ELA, math, and technology coach were added to provide assistance to classroom teachers and monitor student progress. These coach positions pulled some teachers out of the classrooms. Popp says all the coaches are aware that they could be forced to go back to the classrooms if there is a need.

This year’s Great Bend Airfest will mark just the 2nd time that the two remaining air worthy B-29’s in the world will appear together. Fifi, who was part of the 2015 Great Bend Airfest, will be joined this year by Doc, a newly restored B-29 that did not make its maiden flight until July 17th of 2016. Doc is a B-29 Superfortress and one of 1,644 manufactured in Wichita during World War II. Since 1987 when Tony Mazzolini found Doc rotting away in the Mojave Desert, plans have been in the works to restore the historic warbird to flying status to serve as a flying museum. Josh Well serves as Communications and Marketing Director for Doc’s Friends, a non-profit organization that helps maintain the historic plane. He says the nearly 20-year effort to get Doc from the desert to the air was not an easy process.

Josh Wells Audio

But that long effort paid off in July of 2016 when Doc finally returned to the air for the first time, a day that Wells says was very emotional for the hundreds of individuals who had helped in the project.

Josh Wells Audio

The next step for Doc will be the completion of a permanent home for the historic warbird. The new home for Doc will be an interactive B-29 Hangar and Education Center located at Eisenhower National Airport in Wichita. The 30,000 sq. ft. museum hangar will preserve Doc in flying condition and display the priceless Superfortress to the public.

written by: Donna Krug, District Director and Family & Consumer Science Agent K-State Research and Extension – Cottonwood District

Disasters such as the tornadoes that have hit our area have been significant news stories in the past few years. Now, the devastation from Hurricane Lane in Hawaii or the wildfires in California have our attention.

There is an excellent publication from K-State Research and Extension titled, “Get Financially Prepared: Take Steps Ahead of Disaster.” One of the authors speaks from the heart since she was a resident in Greensburg when that tornado struck.

Think about it – if you had only a few moments to evacuate your home, would you have access to the cash, banking services and personal identification needed to conduct your day-to-day financial life?

Consider keeping the following items in a secure place in your home, in a waterproof, fireproof container that can be taken with you at a moment’s notice.

Create a “Grab-and-Go Box” that contains the following:
 Identification and other key documents that may be needed to restore your financial records, including copies of your driver’s license, passports, social security cards.
 Insurance cards, policies, or other proof of insurance coverage.
 Household inventory
 Immunization records
 Bank account numbers, cash
 Copies (front and back) of ATM, debit and credit cards
 Phone numbers and account information for all financial service and insurance providers
 Important telephone numbers (family members, doctors, veterinarians)
 Names and prescription numbers for medications
 Extra pair of glasses
 Infant formula and diapers
 Sleeping bag or blanket along with a complete change of clothes and sturdy shoes
 Personal hygiene items
 Books, games, and activities for children
 Safe deposit box key
 Pocket notebook and pen or pencil

If family records like birth, marriage and death certificates, wills, deeds, contracts, stocks and bonds, and titles to vehicles are not kept in a safe deposit box, these should also be kept in your grab-and-go box.

The publication includes additional tips on what to do after a disaster strikes. The importance of documenting the disaster and keeping receipts from purchases related to the disaster such as lodging, food, and clothing cannot be overemphasized.

Hopefully you will not need the information in this Extension publication but feel free to stop by either office (Great Bend or Hays) in the Cottonwood Extension District and pick up a copy.

USD 428 in Great Bend plans to use over $1.1 million dollars in federal funding during the 2018-2019 school year. The Local Consolidated Plan totals to $1,143,054 which is down $31,000 from the previous year. The federal programs include funding through Title I, Title II, Title III, and Title IV assistance.

USD 428 Director of Teaching and Learning Tricia Reiser says when the district switched over to a district-wide Title I status, it has helped out with how USD 428 uses the federal dollars.

Tricia Reiser Audio

The Title I status only included the five elementary schools for the district until the switch last September to add the Great Bend Middle School and Great Bend High School.

Title I exists to provide federal money to school districts with high-poverty schools. To become Title I, a district must have over 40 percent of their students in poverty, receiving free or reduced-priced lunches.