Pinnacle Regional Hospital courtesy photo

BOONVILLE, Mo. (AP) — A Kansas hospital company abruptly closed a central Missouri hospital Wednesday, citing regulatory problems.

Pinnacle Regional Hospital announced early Wednesday the full-service, community hospital in Boonville would close by the end of the day. Discussions with the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services led officials to believe "that the economic hardship of bringing the facility into compliance is too great to make the appropriate repairs necessary,” hospital officials said in a statement.

The hospital did not specify what compliance issues it was facing.

Boonville, a town of about 8,400 people, also will lose a clinic and a rehab facility.

Pinnacle, based in Overland Park, Kansas, also operates Pinnacle Regional Hospital and Blue Valley Surgical Associates. which were not affected by the closure of the Missouri hospital.

Pinnacle spokeswoman Lori Davies said doctors will staff the emergency room in Boonville for 14 days but she would not comment on the future of about 160 hospital employees.

Pinnacle purchased the Cooper County Memorial Hospital in Boonville in October 2018.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/1/1579136253609.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Pinnacle Regional Hospital courtesy photoBOONVILLE, Mo. (AP) — A Kansas hospital company abruptly closed a central Missouri hospital Wednesday, citing regulatory problems.Pinnacle Regional Hospital announced early Wednesday the full-service, community hospital in Boonville would close by the end of the day. Discussions with the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services led officials to believe "that the economic hardship of bringing the facility into compliance is too great to make the appropriate repairs necessary,” hospital officials said in a statement.The hospital did not specify what compliance issues it was facing.Boonville, a town of about 8,400 people, also will lose a clinic and a rehab facility.Pinnacle, based in Overland Park, Kansas, also operates Pinnacle Regional Hospital and Blue Valley Surgical Associates. which were not affected by the closure of the Missouri hospital.Pinnacle spokeswoman Lori Davies said doctors will staff the emergency room in Boonville for 14 days but she would not comment on the future of about 160 hospital employees.Pinnacle purchased the Cooper County Memorial Hospital in Boonville in October 2018.

Kan. company closes Missouri hospital with short notice

David Jay Civello, 63, passed away January 14, 2020, at the 
University of Kansas Health Systems – Great Bend Campus. He was born on 
July 15, 1956, at Sacramento, Cal., to Peter John and Mary (Donaldson) 
Civello. He married Cheryl Ching on October 10, 2005, at Las Vegas, 
Nevada. She survives.

Coming from Lancaster, Cal., David had been a Great Bend resident for
 the last 4 years. He was an aircraft mechanic and was in the United 
States Air Force. He loved antique cars, hunting, wood working and 
helping on the farm, but especially loved spending time with his 
grandkids.

Survivors include, his wife, Cheryl of the home; three daughters, 
Brittany Woydziak and husband Shawn of Hoisington, Jamie Eddy and 
husband Ryan of Kettering, Ohio, and JoAnne McDonough and husband Seth 
of Gloucester, Mass.; two sisters, Vickie Carman and husband Skip of 
Chino Hills, Cal., and Jean Nelson and husband Paul of McMinville, 
Oregon; and 5 grandchildren, Cali, Rex, Kolt, Jonas and Juniper. He was 
preceded in death by his parents; and a son, D.J. Civello.

Cremation has taken place and a gathering of friends will be held at a later date.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/1/1579108609019.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>David Jay Civello, 63, passed away January 14, 2020, at the 
University of Kansas Health Systems – Great Bend Campus. He was born on 
July 15, 1956, at Sacramento, Cal., to Peter John and Mary (Donaldson) 
Civello. He married Cheryl Ching on October 10, 2005, at Las Vegas, 
Nevada. She survives.Coming from Lancaster, Cal., David had been a Great Bend resident for
 the last 4 years. He was an aircraft mechanic and was in the United 
States Air Force. He loved antique cars, hunting, wood working and 
helping on the farm, but especially loved spending time with his 
grandkids.Survivors include, his wife, Cheryl of the home; three daughters, 
Brittany Woydziak and husband Shawn of Hoisington, Jamie Eddy and 
husband Ryan of Kettering, Ohio, and JoAnne McDonough and husband Seth 
of Gloucester, Mass.; two sisters, Vickie Carman and husband Skip of 
Chino Hills, Cal., and Jean Nelson and husband Paul of McMinville, 
Oregon; and 5 grandchildren, Cali, Rex, Kolt, Jonas and Juniper. He was 
preceded in death by his parents; and a son, D.J. Civello.Cremation has taken place and a gathering of friends will be held at a later date.

David Jay Civello

Lowell D. Darcey, 80, passed away on January 13, 2020, at Clara 
Barton Hospital, Hoisington. He was born on May 5, 1939, to James &amp; 
Marguerite (Flick) Darcey. He married Sandra Freeburg on October 18, 
1964, in Pawnee Rock. She survives.

A previous Belleville resident from 1970-1983, Lowell resided in 
Great Bend. He was a stockman and auctioneer, owning and operating the 
Belleville Livestock Commission Company, LSD Cattle Company and Cedar 
Vale Livestock Commission Company. He was a member of the Methodist 
faith and 4H in his younger years. Later in life, he enjoyed the company
 of his neighbors and close friends.

Survivors include, his wife Sandra of the home; a daughter, Jama 
Nicholas of Hoisington; two brothers, Lynn Darcey and wife Barbara of 
Newton and Ronald Darcey and wife Virginia of Wichita; and two 
grandsons, Brody Nicholas and Braxton Nicholas. He was preceded in death
 by his parents.

Visitation will be held from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., Thursday, January 16, 
2020 at Bryant Funeral Home, with family to receive friends from 6 to 8 
p.m. Funeral Service will be held at 10 a.m., Friday, January 17, 2020, 
at Bryant Funeral Home, with Reverend Morita Truman presiding. Memorials
 are suggested to Barton County Youth Care, Inc., in care of Bryant 
Funeral Home.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/1/1579027421535.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Lowell D. Darcey, 80, passed away on January 13, 2020, at Clara 
Barton Hospital, Hoisington. He was born on May 5, 1939, to James &amp; 
Marguerite (Flick) Darcey. He married Sandra Freeburg on October 18, 
1964, in Pawnee Rock. She survives.A previous Belleville resident from 1970-1983, Lowell resided in 
Great Bend. He was a stockman and auctioneer, owning and operating the 
Belleville Livestock Commission Company, LSD Cattle Company and Cedar 
Vale Livestock Commission Company. He was a member of the Methodist 
faith and 4H in his younger years. Later in life, he enjoyed the company
 of his neighbors and close friends.Survivors include, his wife Sandra of the home; a daughter, Jama 
Nicholas of Hoisington; two brothers, Lynn Darcey and wife Barbara of 
Newton and Ronald Darcey and wife Virginia of Wichita; and two 
grandsons, Brody Nicholas and Braxton Nicholas. He was preceded in death
 by his parents.Visitation will be held from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., Thursday, January 16, 
2020 at Bryant Funeral Home, with family to receive friends from 6 to 8 
p.m. Funeral Service will be held at 10 a.m., Friday, January 17, 2020, 
at Bryant Funeral Home, with Reverend Morita Truman presiding. Memorials
 are suggested to Barton County Youth Care, Inc., in care of Bryant 
Funeral Home.

Lowell D. Darcey

Robert E. “Bob” Biles, 74, passed away January 12, 2020, at St. 
Anthony’s Hospital, Wichita. He was born on October 10, 1945, at Great 
Bend, to Manuel Roy and Claudia (Piland) Biles. He married Paula Hines 
on June 12, 1965, at Ellinwood. She survives.

A lifetime Great Bend resident, Robert was a mechanic and welder for 
Gibson Titus &amp; Stafford, Straub International and was later more 
recently owned and operated Triple 7 Repair. He was a member of Prince 
of Peace Parish. Robert enjoyed hunting, fishing, camping and being in 
the outdoors.

Survivors include, his wife, Paula of the home; a son, Kevin Biles of
 Phoenix, AZ; two daughters, Colleen Miller and husband Mike of Salina 
and Loretta McIntosh and husband Tim of Great Bend; six sisters, Lavonna
 Lick and husband Jerald, Susan Marie Hartsell and husband Richard, 
Karla Biles, Sherry Smolik, Rhonda Suppes and husband Richard and Brenda
 Johnson; four grandchildren, Megan Peterson and husband Michael, Morgan
 Schridde and husband Josh, Robert Miller and Ashley Miller; and one 
great granddaughter, Lily Jean Peterson. He was preceded in death by his
 parents.

Visitation will be held from 1 to 9 p.m., Monday, January 20, 2020, 
at Bryant Funeral Home, with family to receive friends from 5 to 7 p.m. 
Funeral Service will be held at 10:30 a.m., Tuesday, January 21, 2020, 
at Bryant Funeral Home with Father Louis Trung Dinh Hoang presiding. 
Interment will be in the Great Bend Cemetery. Memorials are suggested to
 the Alzheimer’s Association, in care of Bryant Funeral Home.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/1/1579022416688.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Robert E. “Bob” Biles, 74, passed away January 12, 2020, at St. 
Anthony’s Hospital, Wichita. He was born on October 10, 1945, at Great 
Bend, to Manuel Roy and Claudia (Piland) Biles. He married Paula Hines 
on June 12, 1965, at Ellinwood. She survives.A lifetime Great Bend resident, Robert was a mechanic and welder for 
Gibson Titus &amp; Stafford, Straub International and was later more 
recently owned and operated Triple 7 Repair. He was a member of Prince 
of Peace Parish. Robert enjoyed hunting, fishing, camping and being in 
the outdoors.Survivors include, his wife, Paula of the home; a son, Kevin Biles of
 Phoenix, AZ; two daughters, Colleen Miller and husband Mike of Salina 
and Loretta McIntosh and husband Tim of Great Bend; six sisters, Lavonna
 Lick and husband Jerald, Susan Marie Hartsell and husband Richard, 
Karla Biles, Sherry Smolik, Rhonda Suppes and husband Richard and Brenda
 Johnson; four grandchildren, Megan Peterson and husband Michael, Morgan
 Schridde and husband Josh, Robert Miller and Ashley Miller; and one 
great granddaughter, Lily Jean Peterson. He was preceded in death by his
 parents.Visitation will be held from 1 to 9 p.m., Monday, January 20, 2020, 
at Bryant Funeral Home, with family to receive friends from 5 to 7 p.m. 
Funeral Service will be held at 10:30 a.m., Tuesday, January 21, 2020, 
at Bryant Funeral Home with Father Louis Trung Dinh Hoang presiding. 
Interment will be in the Great Bend Cemetery. Memorials are suggested to
 the Alzheimer’s Association, in care of Bryant Funeral Home.

Robert E. 'Bob' Biles

By VERONICA COONS, for the Kansas Rural Center

WICHITA - Energy and interest in local and regional food systems runs high across the country for both producers and consumers, but what do we really know about the economic impact for farmers and ranchers and communities? What works and what does not? And what about opportunities or need for urban-rural linkages?

As beginning farmers look to develop economically viable operations and existing traditional commodity producers look for ways to diversify their operations or expand into new markets, and as consumers demand more local products, answers to these questions are important.

Dr. Becca Jablonski, Assistant Professor and Extension Food Systems Specialist at the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics at Colorado State University, addressed some of these questions at the Kansas Rural Center’s November 2019 Food and Farm Conference in Wichita, Ks. In a keynote address and a follow up workshop, she shared findings and conclusions drawn from her work at USDA, Cornell University and Colorado State over the past two decades.&nbsp;

Jablonski, who was a contributor to the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis’ October 2017 report, “Harvesting Opportunities: The Power of Regional Food System Investments to Transform Communities,” pointed to two indicators of the interest in local food. First, there has been a proliferation of federal and state programs to incentivize local food production and for healthier food.&nbsp; The last two federal farm bills have introduced and provided support for a number of programs to put in place local food production and marketing efforts. This is an important shift from the commodity program focus of the past and is due to the rise of farmer interest and consumer demand.

Second, there has been a proliferation of local food policy councils nationwide. Since 2010, 300 such councils have emerged across the country and 52 of them have published food plans for their state or community. Jablonski stated that only two of those food plans actually addressed the need for urban-rural linkages or partnerships.&nbsp; These linkages, it turns out, are focused on something very simple but essential to ensuring success for the community their councils serve: procurement. Procurement represents opportunities to support surrounding rural areas and farmers and ranchers. But to get from Point A to Point B, all parties must be represented on local food councils including rural stakeholders and farmers.

It is important to clarify that urban farms of scale are virtually non-existent in major metropolitan areas. Denver County, Colorado, serving the Denver Metropolitan area, for example has 12 farms and all are fairly small scale. While there are many benefits to encouraging urban agriculture, these farms will not be able to handle the demand for all the food an urban area needs. Jablonski pointed to a survey she did a few years ago of the Union Square Farmer’s Market in New York City, probably the largest in the country, where 400,000 attendees is not unusual. Most of the farms that supplied the market came not from within the city itself, but from a nine-state region surrounding the market.&nbsp;

Jablonski emphasized that the end goal of local food councils is not to simply establish a local and/or regional food system.&nbsp; Rather, it is to&nbsp;create opportunities, not only to support food needs, but to support farmers and the next generation of farmers. To do that, we need to understand the economic impacts to farms and ranches and to community economic development—and the opportunities.&nbsp;

Farmers and ranchers need to be able to make a living, she stated.&nbsp;“Even those that are making a living off the farm are not earning what I think most people would call the sort of income that people aspire to,” she said.&nbsp;Scaling up to meet the procurement demands of the market is critical but can’t be done in a vacuum.&nbsp;

There is good evidence that consumers are willing to pay a premium for products that are marked “local,” Jablonski said. Not only that, consumers are willing to pay for organic, free-range, grass-fed, and other differentiation strategies. Farmers and ranchers selling in these markets also do more of their own marketing, processing, and distribution of their products.&nbsp;

By analyzing the annual USDA Agricultural Resource Management Survey results, Jablonski strives to understand the variable expenses of farmers and ranchers who participate in local and regional food markets, broken down by market channel. These assessments start with harvest and track through marketing.&nbsp;

For small and medium sized farms represented in this survey, labor is unsurprisingly the highest expense. As they grow, the cost of labor continues to go up.&nbsp; Digging deeper, about half of the sample loses money at any scale, but half either breaks even or makes money. This is encouraging, Jablonski says.

“We’ve seen that some of our direct market producers, because they’re trying to think about labor efficiency, have now started to have their CSA customers (community supported agriculture) pick up at the farmers’ market, so they’re not expending time waiting for people to come to the farm to pick up,” Jablonski said.&nbsp;&nbsp;This begins to get at the labor efficiency question because it is not simply the need to add more laborers, but that the relationship marketing that is part of direct marketing and intermediate marketing takes time. Figuring out how to be more efficient with labor is critical.

Communities need a way to evaluate what the economic impact of an initiative to strengthen a local food system will be. It is important to keep in mind that resources are finite.&nbsp;“It’s not like there’s extra land sitting around waiting for someone to farm it,” she said.&nbsp;Organizers also need to take into consideration impacts on both the supply side and the demand side.&nbsp;Some of the demands from consumers or urban councils in terms of certifications or criteria can have other ramifications for producers or the resource base.

One study by Iowa State University found that if the Midwest grew enough fruits and vegetables to feed all the people in its cities, land would need to be pulled out of the commodity crop production, such as corn and soybeans.&nbsp; There was a positive effect, but not as big as many imagined, because the study accounted for the fact that growing corn and soy also had a positive economic impact on the community, and that had to be subtracted from the change to vegetable production.&nbsp;

However, all in all, impacts of local initiatives tend to be positive, she assured, because farmers markets and food hubs act essentially as small business incubators providing opportunity to build skills and gain business experience. Also, the regular interactions with buyers and consumers may help circulate knowledge and ideas about new products and creative marketing.

Local and regional food policy councils are finding success, and Jablonski shared examples, starting with the aforementioned Denver Sustainable Food Policy Council. Through reciprocal arrangements with area schools, distributors who have gone through the city’s bid process are then qualified to bid for schools.&nbsp;

Through the 2014 Farm Bill, Colorado State University received a grant from the USDA Foundation for Food and Ag Research, which was matched by several commodity groups including the Colorado Wheat and Colorado Potato administrative committees. They are currently building a model that helps them understand the trade-offs along the supply chain for the benefit of the Denver Sustainable Food Policy Council.&nbsp;

Through the model, Jablonski was surprised to learn that many of the decisions made were not based on maximizing profit.&nbsp; Sometimes, shifts are based on how they impact dietary quality or the environment, and are driven primarily by urban council members.&nbsp;

“We’re really trying to look at how we can get some of our urban partners to understand that some of these certifications aren’t so black and white,” she said.&nbsp;&nbsp;Councils serving these areas should consider including rural members that are farmers and ranchers, Jablonski said.&nbsp; They could inform the council what impacts these policies might have for farmers and along the supply chain.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

“It’s important to understand that urban people aren’t doing what they do because they don’t like farmers and they don’t like rural places,” Jablonski said.&nbsp; “They have good intentions, but they don’t understand what they don’t understand.”&nbsp;

Similarly, rural producers are not as engaged in with urban communities and their challenges, challenges. For these reasons, Jablonski urges local food policy councils to make room at the table for both urban and rural interests, and perhaps from organizations they’ve never considered.&nbsp;

Veronica Coons is a Great Bend based journalist who covered the Kansas Rural Center Farm &amp; Food Conference for KRC.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/1/1578935780898.jpeg" alt="Dr. Becca Jablonski" />
 <figcaption>Dr. Becca Jablonski</figcaption>
 </figure>By VERONICA COONS, for the Kansas Rural CenterWICHITA - Energy and interest in local and regional food systems runs high across the country for both producers and consumers, but what do we really know about the economic impact for farmers and ranchers and communities? What works and what does not? And what about opportunities or need for urban-rural linkages?As beginning farmers look to develop economically viable operations and existing traditional commodity producers look for ways to diversify their operations or expand into new markets, and as consumers demand more local products, answers to these questions are important.Dr. Becca Jablonski, Assistant Professor and Extension Food Systems Specialist at the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics at Colorado State University, addressed some of these questions at the Kansas Rural Center’s November 2019 Food and Farm Conference in Wichita, Ks. In a keynote address and a follow up workshop, she shared findings and conclusions drawn from her work at USDA, Cornell University and Colorado State over the past two decades.&nbsp;Jablonski, who was a contributor to the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis’ October 2017 report, “Harvesting Opportunities: The Power of Regional Food System Investments to Transform Communities,” pointed to two indicators of the interest in local food. First, there has been a proliferation of federal and state programs to incentivize local food production and for healthier food.&nbsp; The last two federal farm bills have introduced and provided support for a number of programs to put in place local food production and marketing efforts. This is an important shift from the commodity program focus of the past and is due to the rise of farmer interest and consumer demand.Second, there has been a proliferation of local food policy councils nationwide. Since 2010, 300 such councils have emerged across the country and 52 of them have published food plans for their state or community. Jablonski stated that only two of those food plans actually addressed the need for urban-rural linkages or partnerships.&nbsp; These linkages, it turns out, are focused on something very simple but essential to ensuring success for the community their councils serve: procurement. Procurement represents opportunities to support surrounding rural areas and farmers and ranchers. But to get from Point A to Point B, all parties must be represented on local food councils including rural stakeholders and farmers.It is important to clarify that urban farms of scale are virtually non-existent in major metropolitan areas. Denver County, Colorado, serving the Denver Metropolitan area, for example has 12 farms and all are fairly small scale. While there are many benefits to encouraging urban agriculture, these farms will not be able to handle the demand for all the food an urban area needs. Jablonski pointed to a survey she did a few years ago of the Union Square Farmer’s Market in New York City, probably the largest in the country, where 400,000 attendees is not unusual. Most of the farms that supplied the market came not from within the city itself, but from a nine-state region surrounding the market.&nbsp;Jablonski emphasized that the end goal of local food councils is not to simply establish a local and/or regional food system.&nbsp; Rather, it is to&nbsp;create opportunities, not only to support food needs, but to support farmers and the next generation of farmers. To do that, we need to understand the economic impacts to farms and ranches and to community economic development—and the opportunities.&nbsp;Farmers and ranchers need to be able to make a living, she stated.&nbsp;“Even those that are making a living off the farm are not earning what I think most people would call the sort of income that people aspire to,” she said.&nbsp;Scaling up to meet the procurement demands of the market is critical but can’t be done in a vacuum.&nbsp;There is good evidence that consumers are willing to pay a premium for products that are marked “local,” Jablonski said. Not only that, consumers are willing to pay for organic, free-range, grass-fed, and other differentiation strategies. Farmers and ranchers selling in these markets also do more of their own marketing, processing, and distribution of their products.&nbsp;By analyzing the annual USDA Agricultural Resource Management Survey results, Jablonski strives to understand the variable expenses of farmers and ranchers who participate in local and regional food markets, broken down by market channel. These assessments start with harvest and track through marketing.&nbsp;For small and medium sized farms represented in this survey, labor is unsurprisingly the highest expense. As they grow, the cost of labor continues to go up.&nbsp; Digging deeper, about half of the sample loses money at any scale, but half either breaks even or makes money. This is encouraging, Jablonski says.“We’ve seen that some of our direct market producers, because they’re trying to think about labor efficiency, have now started to have their CSA customers (community supported agriculture) pick up at the farmers’ market, so they’re not expending time waiting for people to come to the farm to pick up,” Jablonski said.&nbsp;&nbsp;This begins to get at the labor efficiency question because it is not simply the need to add more laborers, but that the relationship marketing that is part of direct marketing and intermediate marketing takes time. Figuring out how to be more efficient with labor is critical.Communities need a way to evaluate what the economic impact of an initiative to strengthen a local food system will be. It is important to keep in mind that resources are finite.&nbsp;“It’s not like there’s extra land sitting around waiting for someone to farm it,” she said.&nbsp;Organizers also need to take into consideration impacts on both the supply side and the demand side.&nbsp;Some of the demands from consumers or urban councils in terms of certifications or criteria can have other ramifications for producers or the resource base.One study by Iowa State University found that if the Midwest grew enough fruits and vegetables to feed all the people in its cities, land would need to be pulled out of the commodity crop production, such as corn and soybeans.&nbsp; There was a positive effect, but not as big as many imagined, because the study accounted for the fact that growing corn and soy also had a positive economic impact on the community, and that had to be subtracted from the change to vegetable production.&nbsp;However, all in all, impacts of local initiatives tend to be positive, she assured, because farmers markets and food hubs act essentially as small business incubators providing opportunity to build skills and gain business experience. Also, the regular interactions with buyers and consumers may help circulate knowledge and ideas about new products and creative marketing.Local and regional food policy councils are finding success, and Jablonski shared examples, starting with the aforementioned Denver Sustainable Food Policy Council. Through reciprocal arrangements with area schools, distributors who have gone through the city’s bid process are then qualified to bid for schools.&nbsp;Through the 2014 Farm Bill, Colorado State University received a grant from the USDA Foundation for Food and Ag Research, which was matched by several commodity groups including the Colorado Wheat and Colorado Potato administrative committees. They are currently building a model that helps them understand the trade-offs along the supply chain for the benefit of the Denver Sustainable Food Policy Council.&nbsp;Through the model, Jablonski was surprised to learn that many of the decisions made were not based on maximizing profit.&nbsp; Sometimes, shifts are based on how they impact dietary quality or the environment, and are driven primarily by urban council members.&nbsp;“We’re really trying to look at how we can get some of our urban partners to understand that some of these certifications aren’t so black and white,” she said.&nbsp;&nbsp;Councils serving these areas should consider including rural members that are farmers and ranchers, Jablonski said.&nbsp; They could inform the council what impacts these policies might have for farmers and along the supply chain.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“It’s important to understand that urban people aren’t doing what they do because they don’t like farmers and they don’t like rural places,” Jablonski said.&nbsp; “They have good intentions, but they don’t understand what they don’t understand.”&nbsp;Similarly, rural producers are not as engaged in with urban communities and their challenges, challenges. For these reasons, Jablonski urges local food policy councils to make room at the table for both urban and rural interests, and perhaps from organizations they’ve never considered.&nbsp;Veronica Coons is a Great Bend based journalist who covered the Kansas Rural Center Farm &amp; Food Conference for KRC.

Local, regional food systems offer economic benefits for farmers, communities 

By CELIA LLOPIS-JEPSEN, <a href="https://www.kcur.org/post/getting-health-care-kansas-your-odds-may-be-worse-here-youll-get-surprise-bill#stream/0">Kansas News Service</a>

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Chris Costantini lay in a cold sweat, his shoulder dislocated after slipping on a porch in Kansas City, Kansas.

He’d
 been out alone, knocking on doors and rustling up voters for the 
upcoming midterms in October 2018. Now he waited for an ambulance, full 
of anxiety about how the injury could hinder his next performance at the
 Kansas City Ballet.

“‘I’m not afraid to admit it was the most 
pain I’ve ever been in,” Costantini recalled. “The shoulder was probably
 out of the socket for about 45 minutes.”

A different anxiety 
only began later, when the bills rolled in. That ambulance, it turned 
out, didn’t fall in his insurance network. So Costantini found himself 
on the hook for a $900 bill.

Americans frequently get slapped 
with costs for out-of-network services in situations where they never 
had the chance to shop for an in-network option. But research suggests 
Kansans may be especially vulnerable.

A <a href="https://www.healthsystemtracker.org/brief/an-examination-of-surprise-medical-bills-and-proposals-to-protect-consumers-from-them/" target="_blank">Kaiser Family Foundation study</a>
 put Kansas in the five worst states for how often patients ran into 
out-of-network providers in 2017 during emergencies or during inpatient 
care at their in-network hospitals.

The extra bills that land in their mailboxes often come as a 
surprise, and pile onto in-network medical costs that already have 
patients’ heads spinning.

Costantini’s emergency led to more than
 $6,000 in in-network charges alone, for the hospital and doctor. His 
insurance company’s pre-negotiated rates knocked those charges down to 
less than $2,000.

He tackled that and the ambulance in more manageable monthly increments, counting his blessings that he could afford it.

“Perversely, I feel lucky,” Costantini said. “You would think that we wouldn’t have to feel lucky.”

Kaiser
 tapped a database with claims for 19 million people nationwide who got 
their health insurance through large-employer plans.

Nearly one 
in five emergency care visits meant running into a doctor or someone 
else outside a patient’s network. The situation was only slightly better
 for inpatient care at in-network hospitals.

But those figures 
mask a more complex picture: The situation varies widely by state. While
 Kansas fell at the bottom of the pack, neighboring Nebraska rose to the
 top.

What explains higher out-of-network rates in Kansas? Experts aren’t sure.

Hospitals and billing are “very much a black box,” said Karen Pollitz, the study’s co-author.

That
 complicates research. And patients wonder whether they’ll make it out 
the hospital door without bumping into an out-of-network assistant 
surgeon or radiologist.

“It just feels like a minefield, you know,” Pollitz said.

Nationally,
 experts know some hospitals are far worse than others, though it’s 
difficult to pinpoint the culprits behind wide regional and even local 
disparities. And situations can vary year by year, as insurance networks
 change, as hospitals buy up physician groups, or as new staffing 
companies land on the scene with business models built around aggressive
 billing.

The Kansas Insurance Department doesn’t oversee the nitty-gritty 
details of insurer-provider contracts that might shed light on Kaiser’s 
analysis of Kansas claims. The kind of private insurance studied by 
Kaiser overwhelmingly falls under federal, not state, law.

Patients
 often don’t realize they’ve received out-of-network services until an 
extra bill arrives from a provider they never chose.

“The 
anesthesiologist is who’s on call when you show up,” Pollitz said. “If 
you’re having cancer surgery, you’ll never meet the pathologist who 
looks at your slides.”

Laura Burton made the common assumption 
that the doctors walking the halls of her in-network hospital in Topeka 
work for that hospital and fall in the same network.

“Absolutely,” she said. “One hundred percent, that’s what I believed.”

Then
 came a letter from a Michigan mailing address demanding $400 for a 
pediatrician employed by an external staffing firm who checked on baby 
Amelia soon after her 2014 birth.

“It was not something we could 
pay off off-hand,” Burton recalled. “Who would ever anticipate that a 
random physician would come in who wouldn’t be covered?”

After a 
pregnancy full of complications, her bills surpassed her deductible and 
out-of-pocket maximum well before labor. She and her husband went into 
the final stretch thinking delivery wouldn’t cost more. They paid off 
the unpleasant surprise gradually.

A <a href="https://www.federalreserve.gov/publications/2018-economic-well-being-of-us-households-in-2017-dealing-with-unexpected-expenses.htm" target="_blank">Federal Reserve</a>
 survey found an unexpected $400 bill would cause problems for 40% of 
U.S. adults, making them borrow money, sell property or fall behind on 
credit card debt. And surprise bills are, by definition, impossible to 
plan for.

“It’s a really frustrating, powerless feeling for 
patients,” said Chris Garmon, an economist at the University of 
Missouri-Kansas City who previously worked on antitrust investigations 
at the Federal Trade Commission. “The more things that are done to you 
in the hospital, the more likely you are to encounter an out-of-network 
provider.”

Even a brief drop-in to someone’s room can lead to a hefty surprise bill.

“That’s called drive-by doctoring,” he said. “That’s a real source of this.”

People
 like Burton in Topeka have done things right, said Jack Hoadley, a 
health policy researcher and professor emeritus at Georgetown 
University. They got insurance and went to an in-network hospital.

Yet none of that helps if the pediatrician who pops by has no deal with your insurer.

“You run into a situation that — how do you control?” he said.

Experts warn that some providers — such as hospital staffing companies <a href="https://khn.org/news/investors-deep-pocket-push-to-defend-surprise-medical-bills/" target="_blank">backed by private equity funds</a>
 — avoid joining networks to cash in on the lucrative world of surprise 
billing. That lets them charge more than the rates negotiated by 
insurance companies.

A Stanford University analysis of millions of insurance claims found <a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/fullarticle/2740802?guestAccessKey=9fba6e0c-f029-401a-9675-737db3e67b5d&amp;utm_source=For_The_Media&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=ftm_links&amp;utm_content=tfl&amp;utm_term=081219" target="_blank">more than 80%</a>
 of ambulance rides fell outside patients’ insurance networks. New 
research from Yale University, meanwhile, estimates that reining in 
out-of-network billing by anesthetists and others could cut health care 
spending by <a href="https://www.healthaffairs.org/doi/full/10.1377/hlthaff.2019.00507?utm_campaign=MEDIA+ADVISORY%3A+Cooper+AOP+12-16-19&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_content=From+Health+Affairs%3A++The+Cost+Of+Out-of-Network+Billing+For+In-Network+Hospital+Care&amp;utm_source=Newsletter" target="_blank">tens of billions of dollars</a> annually.

“It’s
 (a problem) that jumps up and bites people for a significant amount of 
money that they can’t afford,” Hoadley said, “And it’s one that that is 
fixable.”

<a href="https://khn.org/news/congress-compromise-legislation-on-surprise-medical-bills/" target="_blank">A recent push in Congress</a>
 has advocates hopeful that 2020 could finally bring a federal solution,
 though details remain up in the air. Surprise billers have pressed 
Congress not to curb charges too much.

Meanwhile, half of states —
 red and blue alike — didn’t wait for a federal fix. They’ve passed some
 level of consumer protections against surprise bills.

Kansas hasn’t. And though it might be especially useful in a state where the ACA health exchange <a href="https://www.kcur.org/post/kansans-have-more-options-ever-2020-aca-marketplace-read-fine-print#stream/0" target="_blank">offers only plans that are particularly unhelpful</a> for out-of-network care, advocates say action in Washington, D.C., is the ideal.

State laws can’t help most people with private insurance through work, for example. Only changes to federal law can.

Celia
 Llopis-Jepsen reports on consumer health and education for the Kansas 
News Service. You can follow her on Twitter @Celia_LJ or email her at 
celia@kcur.org. The Kansas News Service is a collaboration of
 KCUR, Kansas Public Radio, KMUW and High Plains Public Radio focused on
 the health and well-being of Kansans, their communities and civic life.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/1/1578415041999.jpeg" alt="A student practices surgery techniques at Washburn Tech in Topeka. Chris Neal / For the Kansas News Service " />
 <figcaption>A student practices surgery techniques at Washburn Tech in Topeka. Chris Neal / For the Kansas News Service </figcaption>
 </figure>By CELIA LLOPIS-JEPSEN, <a href="https://www.kcur.org/post/getting-health-care-kansas-your-odds-may-be-worse-here-youll-get-surprise-bill#stream/0">Kansas News Service</a>KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Chris Costantini lay in a cold sweat, his shoulder dislocated after slipping on a porch in Kansas City, Kansas.He’d
 been out alone, knocking on doors and rustling up voters for the 
upcoming midterms in October 2018. Now he waited for an ambulance, full 
of anxiety about how the injury could hinder his next performance at the
 Kansas City Ballet.“‘I’m not afraid to admit it was the most 
pain I’ve ever been in,” Costantini recalled. “The shoulder was probably
 out of the socket for about 45 minutes.”A different anxiety 
only began later, when the bills rolled in. That ambulance, it turned 
out, didn’t fall in his insurance network. So Costantini found himself 
on the hook for a $900 bill.Americans frequently get slapped 
with costs for out-of-network services in situations where they never 
had the chance to shop for an in-network option. But research suggests 
Kansans may be especially vulnerable.A <a href="https://www.healthsystemtracker.org/brief/an-examination-of-surprise-medical-bills-and-proposals-to-protect-consumers-from-them/" target="_blank">Kaiser Family Foundation study</a>
 put Kansas in the five worst states for how often patients ran into 
out-of-network providers in 2017 during emergencies or during inpatient 
care at their in-network hospitals.The extra bills that land in their mailboxes often come as a 
surprise, and pile onto in-network medical costs that already have 
patients’ heads spinning.Costantini’s emergency led to more than
 $6,000 in in-network charges alone, for the hospital and doctor. His 
insurance company’s pre-negotiated rates knocked those charges down to 
less than $2,000.He tackled that and the ambulance in more manageable monthly increments, counting his blessings that he could afford it.“Perversely, I feel lucky,” Costantini said. “You would think that we wouldn’t have to feel lucky.”<h2>The ‘black box’</h2>Kaiser
 tapped a database with claims for 19 million people nationwide who got 
their health insurance through large-employer plans.Nearly one 
in five emergency care visits meant running into a doctor or someone 
else outside a patient’s network. The situation was only slightly better
 for inpatient care at in-network hospitals.But those figures 
mask a more complex picture: The situation varies widely by state. While
 Kansas fell at the bottom of the pack, neighboring Nebraska rose to the
 top.What explains higher out-of-network rates in Kansas? Experts aren’t sure.Hospitals and billing are “very much a black box,” said Karen Pollitz, the study’s co-author.That
 complicates research. And patients wonder whether they’ll make it out 
the hospital door without bumping into an out-of-network assistant 
surgeon or radiologist.“It just feels like a minefield, you know,” Pollitz said.Nationally,
 experts know some hospitals are far worse than others, though it’s 
difficult to pinpoint the culprits behind wide regional and even local 
disparities. And situations can vary year by year, as insurance networks
 change, as hospitals buy up physician groups, or as new staffing 
companies land on the scene with business models built around aggressive
 billing.The Kansas Insurance Department doesn’t oversee the nitty-gritty 
details of insurer-provider contracts that might shed light on Kaiser’s 
analysis of Kansas claims. The kind of private insurance studied by 
Kaiser overwhelmingly falls under federal, not state, law.<h2>Where logic fails</h2>Patients
 often don’t realize they’ve received out-of-network services until an 
extra bill arrives from a provider they never chose.“The 
anesthesiologist is who’s on call when you show up,” Pollitz said. “If 
you’re having cancer surgery, you’ll never meet the pathologist who 
looks at your slides.”Laura Burton made the common assumption 
that the doctors walking the halls of her in-network hospital in Topeka 
work for that hospital and fall in the same network.“Absolutely,” she said. “One hundred percent, that’s what I believed.”Then
 came a letter from a Michigan mailing address demanding $400 for a 
pediatrician employed by an external staffing firm who checked on baby 
Amelia soon after her 2014 birth.“It was not something we could 
pay off off-hand,” Burton recalled. “Who would ever anticipate that a 
random physician would come in who wouldn’t be covered?”After a 
pregnancy full of complications, her bills surpassed her deductible and 
out-of-pocket maximum well before labor. She and her husband went into 
the final stretch thinking delivery wouldn’t cost more. They paid off 
the unpleasant surprise gradually.A <a href="https://www.federalreserve.gov/publications/2018-economic-well-being-of-us-households-in-2017-dealing-with-unexpected-expenses.htm" target="_blank">Federal Reserve</a>
 survey found an unexpected $400 bill would cause problems for 40% of 
U.S. adults, making them borrow money, sell property or fall behind on 
credit card debt. And surprise bills are, by definition, impossible to 
plan for.“It’s a really frustrating, powerless feeling for 
patients,” said Chris Garmon, an economist at the University of 
Missouri-Kansas City who previously worked on antitrust investigations 
at the Federal Trade Commission. “The more things that are done to you 
in the hospital, the more likely you are to encounter an out-of-network 
provider.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/1/1578414966600.jpeg" alt="Credit Chris Neal / For the Kansas News Service" />
 <figcaption>Credit Chris Neal / For the Kansas News Service</figcaption>
 </figure>Even a brief drop-in to someone’s room can lead to a hefty surprise bill.“That’s called drive-by doctoring,” he said. “That’s a real source of this.”<h2>In search of a solution</h2>People
 like Burton in Topeka have done things right, said Jack Hoadley, a 
health policy researcher and professor emeritus at Georgetown 
University. They got insurance and went to an in-network hospital.Yet none of that helps if the pediatrician who pops by has no deal with your insurer.“You run into a situation that — how do you control?” he said.Experts warn that some providers — such as hospital staffing companies <a href="https://khn.org/news/investors-deep-pocket-push-to-defend-surprise-medical-bills/" target="_blank">backed by private equity funds</a>
 — avoid joining networks to cash in on the lucrative world of surprise 
billing. That lets them charge more than the rates negotiated by 
insurance companies.A Stanford University analysis of millions of insurance claims found <a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/fullarticle/2740802?guestAccessKey=9fba6e0c-f029-401a-9675-737db3e67b5d&amp;utm_source=For_The_Media&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=ftm_links&amp;utm_content=tfl&amp;utm_term=081219" target="_blank">more than 80%</a>
 of ambulance rides fell outside patients’ insurance networks. New 
research from Yale University, meanwhile, estimates that reining in 
out-of-network billing by anesthetists and others could cut health care 
spending by <a href="https://www.healthaffairs.org/doi/full/10.1377/hlthaff.2019.00507?utm_campaign=MEDIA+ADVISORY%3A+Cooper+AOP+12-16-19&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_content=From+Health+Affairs%3A++The+Cost+Of+Out-of-Network+Billing+For+In-Network+Hospital+Care&amp;utm_source=Newsletter" target="_blank">tens of billions of dollars</a> annually.“It’s
 (a problem) that jumps up and bites people for a significant amount of 
money that they can’t afford,” Hoadley said, “And it’s one that that is 
fixable.”<a href="https://khn.org/news/congress-compromise-legislation-on-surprise-medical-bills/" target="_blank">A recent push in Congress</a>
 has advocates hopeful that 2020 could finally bring a federal solution,
 though details remain up in the air. Surprise billers have pressed 
Congress not to curb charges too much.Meanwhile, half of states —
 red and blue alike — didn’t wait for a federal fix. They’ve passed some
 level of consumer protections against surprise bills.Kansas hasn’t. And though it might be especially useful in a state where the ACA health exchange <a href="https://www.kcur.org/post/kansans-have-more-options-ever-2020-aca-marketplace-read-fine-print#stream/0" target="_blank">offers only plans that are particularly unhelpful</a> for out-of-network care, advocates say action in Washington, D.C., is the ideal.State laws can’t help most people with private insurance through work, for example. Only changes to federal law can.Celia
 Llopis-Jepsen reports on consumer health and education for the Kansas 
News Service. You can follow her on Twitter @Celia_LJ or email her at 
celia@kcur.org. The Kansas News Service is a collaboration of
 KCUR, Kansas Public Radio, KMUW and High Plains Public Radio focused on
 the health and well-being of Kansans, their communities and civic life.

Odds may be worse in Kan. for surprise medical bill 

Ida Faye Moon-Anthony, age 96, of Bunker Hill, Kansas died Tuesday, December 31, 2019 at her home in Bunker Hill, Kansas.

She was born February 19, 1923 in Amos, Arkansas to Lloyd Edward and Hattie Ann (Lyons) Hamilton. &nbsp; She married Luke Anthony on January 14, 1984 at Medford Oregon.&nbsp; He preceded her in death on October 15, 2004.

Ida grew up in Madison and Emporia, Kansas and attended High School in Madison, Kansas.&nbsp; She lived in California, Washington, Arizona, and moved to Bunker Hill, Kansas in 2007 to live with her granddaughter, Windy Lasker and her husband Bruce Werygo.&nbsp;

Survivors include one son, Wayne Dejarnett, Medford, Oregon; one daughter, Nancy Elliott and husband, Dean, Eugene, Oregon; 16 grandchildren; 20 great grandchildren and 13 great great grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her parents; husband; one son, Phill Finch; one daughter, Barbara Ann Stewart; two brothers, Lloyd Hamilton and Wilber Hamilton; three sisters, Viola Schartz, Beverly Hutchings and Barbara Starret.

A private family memorial service and inurnment will be in Oregon ant a later date.

Services are entrusted to Cline’s-Keithley Mortuary of Hays, 1919 E.22nd Street, Hays, Kansas 67601.&nbsp; Condolences can be sent via e-mail to <a href="mailto:clinesmortuary@eaglecom.net">clinesmortuary@eaglecom.net</a> or can be left at guest book at <a href="http://www.keithleyfuneralchapels.com">www.keithleyfuneralchapels.com</a> &nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/1/1578690859921.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Ida Faye Moon-Anthony, age 96, of Bunker Hill, Kansas died Tuesday, December 31, 2019 at her home in Bunker Hill, Kansas.She was born February 19, 1923 in Amos, Arkansas to Lloyd Edward and Hattie Ann (Lyons) Hamilton. &nbsp; She married Luke Anthony on January 14, 1984 at Medford Oregon.&nbsp; He preceded her in death on October 15, 2004.Ida grew up in Madison and Emporia, Kansas and attended High School in Madison, Kansas.&nbsp; She lived in California, Washington, Arizona, and moved to Bunker Hill, Kansas in 2007 to live with her granddaughter, Windy Lasker and her husband Bruce Werygo.&nbsp;Survivors include one son, Wayne Dejarnett, Medford, Oregon; one daughter, Nancy Elliott and husband, Dean, Eugene, Oregon; 16 grandchildren; 20 great grandchildren and 13 great great grandchildren.She was preceded in death by her parents; husband; one son, Phill Finch; one daughter, Barbara Ann Stewart; two brothers, Lloyd Hamilton and Wilber Hamilton; three sisters, Viola Schartz, Beverly Hutchings and Barbara Starret.A private family memorial service and inurnment will be in Oregon ant a later date.Services are entrusted to Cline’s-Keithley Mortuary of Hays, 1919 E.22nd Street, Hays, Kansas 67601.&nbsp; Condolences can be sent via e-mail to <a href="mailto:clinesmortuary@eaglecom.net">clinesmortuary@eaglecom.net</a> or can be left at guest book at <a href="http://www.keithleyfuneralchapels.com">www.keithleyfuneralchapels.com</a> &nbsp;

Ida Faye Moon-Anthony

Donald Warren Murphy Jr (Donnie,
 age 69, passed away Sunday, January 5, 2020, at Russell Regional 
Hospital, Russell, Kansas.&nbsp; He was born to Donald Murphy (Don) and 
Isetta Tittel Murphy on July 25, 1950, at Russell Regional Hospital, 
Russell, Kansas.&nbsp; He was a member of the 1968 graduating class of 
Russell High School, Russell, Kansas.

Donnie was proud and 
honored to have served his country in the Army stationed in Vietnam 
early March 1970, through early October 1971.&nbsp; 

After returning from 
Vietnam he worked at his parents’ business Don’s Excavating.&nbsp; On April 
22, 1977, he married Sue McKown at Cupid’s Wedding Chapel, LasVegas, 
NV.&nbsp; The ceremony was a double ceremony with Sue’s grandmother Jane 
Andrews and Carl Cantwell.&nbsp; This was something Donnie and Sue were very 
proud of and loved sharing all of the stories associated with it.&nbsp; With 
this marriage Donnie became stepfather to daughter Megan McKown.&nbsp; Later 
Donnie worked for the City of Russell retiring November 1, 2012, with 25
 years of service.&nbsp;&nbsp; 

Donnie enjoyed spending 
time at his farm.&nbsp; There was always a huge garden that was more than 
several families could use.&nbsp; So there was a free zucchini sign in the 
yard in town.&nbsp; And believe it not the boxes were always emptied.&nbsp; When 
his health worsened his friends and family made sure that the garden was
 planted.&nbsp; He also enjoyed his role as Papa to granddaughter Casey and 
most recently the addition of great granddaughter Sadie Grace.&nbsp; 

He was a life member of 
the DAV, 11th Armored Cavalry’s Veterans of Vietnam and Cambodia, 
Vietnam Veterans of America, and the VFW post #6240, Russell, KS.&nbsp; He 
also was a member of the American Legion post #0099, Russell, KS. He was
 also a tribal member of the Iowa Tribe of Kansas &amp; Nebraska.

Donnie was proceeded in 
death by his parents.&nbsp; He is survived by his wife Sue of the home, 
Russell, KS, his sister Tenna Rae Bangert (Dennis) Derby, KS, his 
stepdaughter Megan Tolle (Stacy, Sedgwick, KS, granddaughter Casey 
Blevins, Sedgwick, KS, and great granddaughter Sadie Grace Blevins, 
Sedgwick, KS.&nbsp; 

A memorial service
 to celebrate Donnie's life will be held at 10:30 A.M. on Wednesday, 
January 15, 2020, at the Pohlman-Varner-Peeler Mortuary in Russell, 
Kansas.&nbsp; A Ft. Riley and Russell V.F.W. military honor guard ceremony 
will follow at the Russell County Veterans Memorial.&nbsp; The family will 
greet guests the day of the service.&nbsp; Memorials may be given to the 
Russell County Veterans Memorial and sent in care of the mortuary.&nbsp; 
Pohlman-Varner-Peeler Mortuary of Russell, Kansas, is in charge of the 
funeral service arrangements.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/1/1578678666512.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Donald Warren Murphy Jr (Donnie,
 age 69, passed away Sunday, January 5, 2020, at Russell Regional 
Hospital, Russell, Kansas.&nbsp; He was born to Donald Murphy (Don) and 
Isetta Tittel Murphy on July 25, 1950, at Russell Regional Hospital, 
Russell, Kansas.&nbsp; He was a member of the 1968 graduating class of 
Russell High School, Russell, Kansas.Donnie was proud and 
honored to have served his country in the Army stationed in Vietnam 
early March 1970, through early October 1971.&nbsp; After returning from 
Vietnam he worked at his parents’ business Don’s Excavating.&nbsp; On April 
22, 1977, he married Sue McKown at Cupid’s Wedding Chapel, LasVegas, 
NV.&nbsp; The ceremony was a double ceremony with Sue’s grandmother Jane 
Andrews and Carl Cantwell.&nbsp; This was something Donnie and Sue were very 
proud of and loved sharing all of the stories associated with it.&nbsp; With 
this marriage Donnie became stepfather to daughter Megan McKown.&nbsp; Later 
Donnie worked for the City of Russell retiring November 1, 2012, with 25
 years of service.&nbsp;&nbsp; Donnie enjoyed spending 
time at his farm.&nbsp; There was always a huge garden that was more than 
several families could use.&nbsp; So there was a free zucchini sign in the 
yard in town.&nbsp; And believe it not the boxes were always emptied.&nbsp; When 
his health worsened his friends and family made sure that the garden was
 planted.&nbsp; He also enjoyed his role as Papa to granddaughter Casey and 
most recently the addition of great granddaughter Sadie Grace.&nbsp; He was a life member of 
the DAV, 11th Armored Cavalry’s Veterans of Vietnam and Cambodia, 
Vietnam Veterans of America, and the VFW post #6240, Russell, KS.&nbsp; He 
also was a member of the American Legion post #0099, Russell, KS. He was
 also a tribal member of the Iowa Tribe of Kansas &amp; Nebraska.Donnie was proceeded in 
death by his parents.&nbsp; He is survived by his wife Sue of the home, 
Russell, KS, his sister Tenna Rae Bangert (Dennis) Derby, KS, his 
stepdaughter Megan Tolle (Stacy, Sedgwick, KS, granddaughter Casey 
Blevins, Sedgwick, KS, and great granddaughter Sadie Grace Blevins, 
Sedgwick, KS.&nbsp; A memorial service
 to celebrate Donnie's life will be held at 10:30 A.M. on Wednesday, 
January 15, 2020, at the Pohlman-Varner-Peeler Mortuary in Russell, 
Kansas.&nbsp; A Ft. Riley and Russell V.F.W. military honor guard ceremony 
will follow at the Russell County Veterans Memorial.&nbsp; The family will 
greet guests the day of the service.&nbsp; Memorials may be given to the 
Russell County Veterans Memorial and sent in care of the mortuary.&nbsp; 
Pohlman-Varner-Peeler Mortuary of Russell, Kansas, is in charge of the 
funeral service arrangements.

Donald Warren Murphy Jr.

Olga Lucille Moore, 105, passed away on January 9, 2020 at the Cedar 
Village Care Center in Ness City, Kansas. She was born at home on 
October 28, 1914 in Rush Center, Kansas the daughter of Thomas and Lucy 
(Reed) Crotinger.

Lucille married Harvey E. Moore on July 22, 1934, in LaCrosse, 
Kansas. They lived on a farm south of Bazine where she was a homemaker. 
They enjoyed camping, fishing, and travelling. In 1976, they retired 
from the farm and moved to Ness City and enjoyed square dancing with the
 Wheatland Swinger’s Square Dance Club. Harvey died on March 13, 2010. 
Lucille was a member of St. Luke’s Lutheran Church and Lutheran Women’s 
Missionary League in Bazine.

Survivors include: her son, Rodney and his wife, Patty of Prineville,
 OR; 2 grandchildren, 2 step-grandchildren, 4 great-grandchildren, and 6
 step-great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her parents, 
husband, brothers, sisters, and a step-grandson.

Funeral service will be on Monday, January 13, 2020, 10:30 A.M., at 
Fitzgerald Funeral Home, Ness City. Burial will be at the Bazine 
Cemetery. Friends may call at Fitzgerald Funeral Home from 10:00 A.M. to
 9:00 P.M. on Sunday, January 12.

Memorial contributions may be given to the Ness City Leisure Years 
Center in care of Fitzgerald Funeral Home, P.O. Box 96, Ness City, 
Kansas 67560.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/1/1578691605559.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Olga Lucille Moore, 105, passed away on January 9, 2020 at the Cedar 
Village Care Center in Ness City, Kansas. She was born at home on 
October 28, 1914 in Rush Center, Kansas the daughter of Thomas and Lucy 
(Reed) Crotinger.Lucille married Harvey E. Moore on July 22, 1934, in LaCrosse, 
Kansas. They lived on a farm south of Bazine where she was a homemaker. 
They enjoyed camping, fishing, and travelling. In 1976, they retired 
from the farm and moved to Ness City and enjoyed square dancing with the
 Wheatland Swinger’s Square Dance Club. Harvey died on March 13, 2010. 
Lucille was a member of St. Luke’s Lutheran Church and Lutheran Women’s 
Missionary League in Bazine.Survivors include: her son, Rodney and his wife, Patty of Prineville,
 OR; 2 grandchildren, 2 step-grandchildren, 4 great-grandchildren, and 6
 step-great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her parents, 
husband, brothers, sisters, and a step-grandson.Funeral service will be on Monday, January 13, 2020, 10:30 A.M., at 
Fitzgerald Funeral Home, Ness City. Burial will be at the Bazine 
Cemetery. Friends may call at Fitzgerald Funeral Home from 10:00 A.M. to
 9:00 P.M. on Sunday, January 12.Memorial contributions may be given to the Ness City Leisure Years 
Center in care of Fitzgerald Funeral Home, P.O. Box 96, Ness City, 
Kansas 67560.

Olga Lucille Moore

By JIM MCLEAN <a href="https://www.kcur.org/post/kansas-paves-medicaid-expansion-path-after-governor-and-top-republican-break-partisan-logjam#stream/0">Kansas News Service</a>

TOPEKA, Kansas — Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly and a 
key Republican lawmaker said Thursday they’ve crafted a deal to make 
roughly 130,000 more Kansans eligible for Medicaid.

In a joint 
Statehouse news conference, Kelly and Senate Majority Leader Jim Denning
 revealed their compromise to expand the government-run health plan for 
the poor and disabled.

“Compromise is hard,” Kelly said with lawmakers from both parties looking on. “It’s messy and it’s slow. But it’s so worth it.”

The deal, Denning said, is the product of several weeks of intense negotiations.

“This,” he said, “is what governing looks like.”

Last
 year, the Kansas House passed an expansion plan and then saw Senate 
leaders, Denning chief among them, block it in the session’s final days.

The plan announced Thursday appears to reflect a middle ground that could clear the Legislature and win Kelly’s signature.

Senate Minority Leader Anthony Hensley said the compromise has bipartisan support.

“We have 22 co-sponsers, 11 Democrats and 11 Republicans,” the Democratic senator said.

It takes 21 votes in the 40-member Senate to pass a bill.

If
 signed into law, the compromise would make Kansas the 38th state to 
expand Medicaid (counting the District of Columbia). It also ends a 
partisan standoff that began nearly a decade ago with the passage of the
 federal Affordable Care Act. That law — better known as Obamacare — 
requires the federal government to shoulder 90 percent of the cost of 
expansion.

Carl Frazier, the pastor of Topeka’s New Hope and 
Community Chruch and a longtime advocate for expansion, was among the 
more than 100 people who attended the news conference.

“I’m all excited,” Frazier said. “It just proves in Kansas that we’re better together.”

Carrie
 Saia, the head of the Holton Community Hospital, said the additional 
federal dollars that would expansion would bring to Kansas are critical 
to the survival of rural hospitals.

“In the last couple of years, we have not had a profitable bottom line,” Saia said. “This will help.”

The
 breakthrough on expansion comes after years of contentious debate that 
peaked in the 2019 legislative session. Denning and other Republican 
leaders blocked a Senate vote on a plan that Kelly had made her top 
priority.

Expansion advocates demanded a vote, staging noisy 
protests that briefly shut down the Senate. They accused Denning and 
Senate President Susan Wagle, a conservative running for the U.S. 
Senate, of putting the lives of poor Kansans at risk.

“That’s an emotional issue and I don’t run on emotion,” he said at the time. “All my decisions are based on good policy.”

Continuing to block Medicaid expansion might have put Denning at risk
 in his Johnson County district, where Democrats are gaining strength. 
He unveiled his own plan in October.

It proposed expanding 
Medicaid for only the poorest Kansans while subsidizing private 
insurance for those making more than 100% of the federal poverty level 
($25,100 a year for a family of four).

Denning’s two-tiered plan 
also proposed the creation of a re-insurance fund to lower the cost of 
private coverage in the Obamacare marketplace. Helping insurance 
companies cover their highest-cost patients, Denning said, could lower 
premiums by more than 20%.

“We want to get as many Kansans 
covered with health insurance as we can in the Medicaid market and the 
non-Medicaid market,” Denning said when he unveiled the plan in October.

Expansion
 advocates welcomed Denning’s attempt at compromise but said his plan 
was too complicated. With so many “moving parts,” they feared federal 
officials would either reject it or take years to approve it.

“When
 it comes to Medicaid expansion, simpler is better,” said Sheldon 
Weisgrau, an analyst for the pro-expansion group Alliance for a Healthy 
Kansas.

In her negotiations with Denning, Kelly wanted a more 
straightforward plan that federal regulators could green light by the 
end of the year. That’s what she got.

“Kansas will not repeat the
 mistakes made in other states where expansion plans were loaded up with
 bureaucratic red tape and expensive administrative barriers,” she said 
Thursday.

Senate Vice President Jeff Longbine, a Republican from Emporia, predicted lawmakers would act quickly.

“I’m quite confident that we’ll be able to pass it fairly early in the session,” Longbine said.

Wagle, the Senate president, maintained her opposition on Thursday.

“Expanding
 a broken system that doesn’t allow physician choice, limits 
pharmaceuticals and therapies, places Kansans in waiting lines and 
delays payments to providers,” she said in a statement. She said it 
failed to do anything to keep down health care costs.

Sen. 
Richard Hilderbrand, a Republican from Galena, said before Thursday’s 
press conference he won’t vote the expansion compromise. He said it 
isn’t the state’s responsibility to provide health coverge to 
“able-bodied adults” capable of fending for themselves.

To get any support from conservatives, Hilderbrand said, the plan must include a work requirement.

“I
 can tell you, most people don’t want Medicaid expansion,” he said. 
“Those that do, the vast majority say they want work requirements.”

At
 Kelly’s insistence, the plan includes a work referral program but 
doesn’t require Medicaid recipients to either have a job or be actively 
looking for one.

The referral program, which includes training, Kelly said, is a more effective way to get people working.

“The only thing that empowers Kansans more than good health,” she said, “is a good job.”

Hilderbrand
 said he and other conservatives are disappointed by Denning’s “retreat”
 on expansion. Still, he agrees that the compromise plan will likely 
pass.

“If you have leadership that wants it,” he said, “there’s no way to stop it.”

Jim
 McLean is the senior correspondent for the Kansas News Service is a 
collaboration of KCUR, Kansas Public Radio, KMUW and High Plains Public 
Radio focused on health, the social determinants of health and their 
connection to public policy. You can reach him on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/jmcleanks">@jmcleanks</a> or email jim@kcur.org.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/1/1578603586629.jpeg" alt="Protesters last year targeted Senate Majority Leader Jim Denning for blocking Medicaid expansion. Now he and Gov. Laura Kelly have settled on a compromise.&nbsp; Jim McLean / Kansas News Service " />
 <figcaption>Protesters last year targeted Senate Majority Leader Jim Denning for blocking Medicaid expansion. Now he and Gov. Laura Kelly have settled on a compromise.&nbsp; Jim McLean / Kansas News Service </figcaption>
 </figure>By JIM MCLEAN <a href="https://www.kcur.org/post/kansas-paves-medicaid-expansion-path-after-governor-and-top-republican-break-partisan-logjam#stream/0">Kansas News Service</a>TOPEKA, Kansas — Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly and a 
key Republican lawmaker said Thursday they’ve crafted a deal to make 
roughly 130,000 more Kansans eligible for Medicaid.In a joint 
Statehouse news conference, Kelly and Senate Majority Leader Jim Denning
 revealed their compromise to expand the government-run health plan for 
the poor and disabled.“Compromise is hard,” Kelly said with lawmakers from both parties looking on. “It’s messy and it’s slow. But it’s so worth it.”The deal, Denning said, is the product of several weeks of intense negotiations.“This,” he said, “is what governing looks like.”Last
 year, the Kansas House passed an expansion plan and then saw Senate 
leaders, Denning chief among them, block it in the session’s final days.The plan announced Thursday appears to reflect a middle ground that could clear the Legislature and win Kelly’s signature.Senate Minority Leader Anthony Hensley said the compromise has bipartisan support.“We have 22 co-sponsers, 11 Democrats and 11 Republicans,” the Democratic senator said.It takes 21 votes in the 40-member Senate to pass a bill.If
 signed into law, the compromise would make Kansas the 38th state to 
expand Medicaid (counting the District of Columbia). It also ends a 
partisan standoff that began nearly a decade ago with the passage of the
 federal Affordable Care Act. That law — better known as Obamacare — 
requires the federal government to shoulder 90 percent of the cost of 
expansion.Carl Frazier, the pastor of Topeka’s New Hope and 
Community Chruch and a longtime advocate for expansion, was among the 
more than 100 people who attended the news conference.“I’m all excited,” Frazier said. “It just proves in Kansas that we’re better together.”Carrie
 Saia, the head of the Holton Community Hospital, said the additional 
federal dollars that would expansion would bring to Kansas are critical 
to the survival of rural hospitals.“In the last couple of years, we have not had a profitable bottom line,” Saia said. “This will help.”The plan’s key elements:<ul>
 <li>Expanding
 Medicaid to cover people who earn up to 38% percent above the federal 
poverty level. For a family of four, that’s about $35,500 a year.</li><li>The federal government will cover 90% percent of the cost. The rest — estimated at $35 million — falls to the state.</li><li>A
 “re-insurance” plan — a provision requiring a special waiver from 
federal regulators — aimed at lowering the cost of private health 
insurance in the Obamacare exchange. It does that by helping insurance 
companies cover people who rack up the highest medical bills.</li><li>Hospitals
 in the state could be charged up to $35 million starting in the summer 
of 2021 to help pay the state’s cost of expansion. The Kansas Hospital 
Association has endorsed the surcharge.</li><li>A work referral 
program, but no new work requirements. In addition, enrollees will pay 
up to $25 a month for coverage. For those who can’t afford those 
premiums, the state will tap a special fund.</li><li>An initiative 
aimed at helping Kansas hospitals get federal OKs to experiment with 
more efficient ways of delivering health care in rural areas. Most of 
the state’s rural hospitals currently operate at a loss.</li>
 </ul><h2>The path to compromise</h2>The
 breakthrough on expansion comes after years of contentious debate that 
peaked in the 2019 legislative session. Denning and other Republican 
leaders blocked a Senate vote on a plan that Kelly had made her top 
priority.Expansion advocates demanded a vote, staging noisy 
protests that briefly shut down the Senate. They accused Denning and 
Senate President Susan Wagle, a conservative running for the U.S. 
Senate, of putting the lives of poor Kansans at risk.That didn’t move Denning.“That’s an emotional issue and I don’t run on emotion,” he said at the time. “All my decisions are based on good policy.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/1/1578603540918.jpeg" alt="Gov. Laura Kelly and Senate Majority Leader Jim Denning announcing a Medicaid expansion compromise on Thursday.&nbsp;Credit Stephen Koranda / Kansas News Service" />
 <figcaption>Gov. Laura Kelly and Senate Majority Leader Jim Denning announcing a Medicaid expansion compromise on Thursday.&nbsp;Credit Stephen Koranda / Kansas News Service</figcaption>
 </figure>Continuing to block Medicaid expansion might have put Denning at risk
 in his Johnson County district, where Democrats are gaining strength. 
He unveiled his own plan in October.It proposed expanding 
Medicaid for only the poorest Kansans while subsidizing private 
insurance for those making more than 100% of the federal poverty level 
($25,100 a year for a family of four).Denning’s two-tiered plan 
also proposed the creation of a re-insurance fund to lower the cost of 
private coverage in the Obamacare marketplace. Helping insurance 
companies cover their highest-cost patients, Denning said, could lower 
premiums by more than 20%.“We want to get as many Kansans 
covered with health insurance as we can in the Medicaid market and the 
non-Medicaid market,” Denning said when he unveiled the plan in October.Expansion
 advocates welcomed Denning’s attempt at compromise but said his plan 
was too complicated. With so many “moving parts,” they feared federal 
officials would either reject it or take years to approve it.“When
 it comes to Medicaid expansion, simpler is better,” said Sheldon 
Weisgrau, an analyst for the pro-expansion group Alliance for a Healthy 
Kansas.In her negotiations with Denning, Kelly wanted a more 
straightforward plan that federal regulators could green light by the 
end of the year. That’s what she got.“Kansas will not repeat the
 mistakes made in other states where expansion plans were loaded up with
 bureaucratic red tape and expensive administrative barriers,” she said 
Thursday.Senate Vice President Jeff Longbine, a Republican from Emporia, predicted lawmakers would act quickly.“I’m quite confident that we’ll be able to pass it fairly early in the session,” Longbine said.<h2>Some not celebrating </h2>Wagle, the Senate president, maintained her opposition on Thursday.“Expanding
 a broken system that doesn’t allow physician choice, limits 
pharmaceuticals and therapies, places Kansans in waiting lines and 
delays payments to providers,” she said in a statement. She said it 
failed to do anything to keep down health care costs.Sen. 
Richard Hilderbrand, a Republican from Galena, said before Thursday’s 
press conference he won’t vote the expansion compromise. He said it 
isn’t the state’s responsibility to provide health coverge to 
“able-bodied adults” capable of fending for themselves.To get any support from conservatives, Hilderbrand said, the plan must include a work requirement.“I
 can tell you, most people don’t want Medicaid expansion,” he said. 
“Those that do, the vast majority say they want work requirements.”At
 Kelly’s insistence, the plan includes a work referral program but 
doesn’t require Medicaid recipients to either have a job or be actively 
looking for one.The referral program, which includes training, Kelly said, is a more effective way to get people working.“The only thing that empowers Kansans more than good health,” she said, “is a good job.”Hilderbrand
 said he and other conservatives are disappointed by Denning’s “retreat”
 on expansion. Still, he agrees that the compromise plan will likely 
pass.“If you have leadership that wants it,” he said, “there’s no way to stop it.”Jim
 McLean is the senior correspondent for the Kansas News Service is a 
collaboration of KCUR, Kansas Public Radio, KMUW and High Plains Public 
Radio focused on health, the social determinants of health and their 
connection to public policy. You can reach him on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/jmcleanks">@jmcleanks</a> or email jim@kcur.org.

Kan. paves Medicaid expansion path after break in partisan logjam 

Allen Kent Weimaster, 71, of Russell, Kansas, passed away Monday, January 6, 2020 at the Hays Medical Center in Hays, Kansas.

Allen was born October 
21, 1948 in Russell, Kansas.&nbsp; He was the son of Floyd and Berniece 
(DeWald) Weimaster.&nbsp; He grew up in Russell and graduated from Russell 
High School.&nbsp; He then attended Ft. Hays State University and Kansas 
State University.

Allen served his country
 in the U.S. Marines during the Vietnam War.&nbsp; He was stationed in 
Okanowa, Japan.&nbsp; After his tour of duty, he returned to the Russell area
 for a short time before moving to Denver, Colorado.

Allen was united in 
marriage to Sue Ann Thompson on April 24, 1984 in Coldwater, Kansas.&nbsp; 
They made their home in Russell.&nbsp; Sue preceded him in death on July 2, 
2018.

Allen worked for the 
Russell AGCO Coop in Russell many years.&nbsp; He was a agronomy and 
manager.&nbsp; He also worked in the main office and at the scales.&nbsp; While 
living in Denver he worked at a RV Trailer Supply Company in the supply 
house and later was a parts driver.&nbsp; He was a member of the Trinity 
United Methodist Church of Russell.&nbsp; He also was a member of the Russell
 V.F.W. Post #6240, Russell American Legion Post #99, and Russell Elks 
Lodge.&nbsp;&nbsp; In his spare time he enjoyed hunting and fishing, wood working 
and cheering on his Denver Bronco and Kansas City Chiefs.&nbsp; He loved 
spending time with his nieces and nephews and he put the “Funkle” in fun
 uncle.

Allen’s surviving family
 include his brother, Dale Weimaster and wife Joan of Russell, Kansas; 
numerous nieces and nephews and his loving dog, Sadie of the home.&nbsp; He 
was preceded in death by his parents, wife Sue and half sister Tana 
Skaggs.

A Memorial Service will 
be held at 11:00 AM, Thursday, January 16, 2020 at Trinity United 
Methodist Church of Russell.&nbsp; A private burial of ashes will follow at a
 later date. The family will be present to greet friends from 10:00 AM 
to Service on Thursday at the church.&nbsp; A Memorial has been established 
with Russell V.F.W. Post #6240 Flag Fund.&nbsp; Contributions and condolences
 may be sent to Pohlman-Varner-Peeler Mortuary, who is in charge of 
these arrangements.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/1/1578578842769.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Allen Kent Weimaster, 71, of Russell, Kansas, passed away Monday, January 6, 2020 at the Hays Medical Center in Hays, Kansas.Allen was born October 
21, 1948 in Russell, Kansas.&nbsp; He was the son of Floyd and Berniece 
(DeWald) Weimaster.&nbsp; He grew up in Russell and graduated from Russell 
High School.&nbsp; He then attended Ft. Hays State University and Kansas 
State University.Allen served his country
 in the U.S. Marines during the Vietnam War.&nbsp; He was stationed in 
Okanowa, Japan.&nbsp; After his tour of duty, he returned to the Russell area
 for a short time before moving to Denver, Colorado.Allen was united in 
marriage to Sue Ann Thompson on April 24, 1984 in Coldwater, Kansas.&nbsp; 
They made their home in Russell.&nbsp; Sue preceded him in death on July 2, 
2018.Allen worked for the 
Russell AGCO Coop in Russell many years.&nbsp; He was a agronomy and 
manager.&nbsp; He also worked in the main office and at the scales.&nbsp; While 
living in Denver he worked at a RV Trailer Supply Company in the supply 
house and later was a parts driver.&nbsp; He was a member of the Trinity 
United Methodist Church of Russell.&nbsp; He also was a member of the Russell
 V.F.W. Post #6240, Russell American Legion Post #99, and Russell Elks 
Lodge.&nbsp;&nbsp; In his spare time he enjoyed hunting and fishing, wood working 
and cheering on his Denver Bronco and Kansas City Chiefs.&nbsp; He loved 
spending time with his nieces and nephews and he put the “Funkle” in fun
 uncle.Allen’s surviving family
 include his brother, Dale Weimaster and wife Joan of Russell, Kansas; 
numerous nieces and nephews and his loving dog, Sadie of the home.&nbsp; He 
was preceded in death by his parents, wife Sue and half sister Tana 
Skaggs.A Memorial Service will 
be held at 11:00 AM, Thursday, January 16, 2020 at Trinity United 
Methodist Church of Russell.&nbsp; A private burial of ashes will follow at a
 later date. The family will be present to greet friends from 10:00 AM 
to Service on Thursday at the church.&nbsp; A Memorial has been established 
with Russell V.F.W. Post #6240 Flag Fund.&nbsp; Contributions and condolences
 may be sent to Pohlman-Varner-Peeler Mortuary, who is in charge of 
these arrangements.

Allen Kent Weimaster

By DAN MARGOLIES, <a href="https://www.kcur.org/post/shawnee-mission-school-district-settles-sexual-assault-case-165000#stream/0">Kansas News Service</a>

The
 Shawnee Mission school district and four district officials have agreed to pay $165,000 to resolve a lawsuit alleging school officials 
failed to take action against a middle school student accused of 
sexually assaulting another student.

The district and officials 
agreed to the settlement in September but the amount was not disclosed 
until Monday, when U.S. District Judge Daniel Crabtree approved the 
settlement.

The assault happened during study hall at Westridge 
Middle School in Overland Park in 2017, when a male student “forcibly 
put his hands” down a female student’s pants and “penetrated her,” 
according to the lawsuit, which was filed in October 2017.

The 
lawsuit, filed by the female student (identified only as P.Y.) and her 
father, alleged the defendants had failed to report to law enforcement 
previous incidents of “unwelcome physical contact” involving the same 
male juvenile and three other female students.

The district 
insisted it handled the 2017 incident appropriately and swiftly, 
suspending the juvenile shortly after it occurred and then expelling 
him.

In December 2017, the juvenile was convicted of three counts
 of battery and one count of aggravated liberties with a child. He was 
sentenced to seven days in a juvenile facility, 21 days of house arrest 
and 12 months of probation and was required to register as a sex 
offender.

In addition to the district, the lawsuit named as 
defendants former Shawnee Mission School Superintendent Jim Hinson, 
Westridge Principal Jeremy McDonnell, Westridge Assistant Principal Jade
 Peters and former school board member Craig Denny.

As well as 
approving the settlement, Crabtree on Monday approved a provision 
allocating 45% of the settlement amount toward the plaintiffs’ attorney 
fees. Although he said it was “at the upper range of fee ranges 
appropriate for a settlement,” Crabtree found the fee award to be “fair 
and reasonable.”

The plaintiffs had asked Crabtree to seal the 
amount of the settlement, but Crabtree, citing case law, said there was 
“a strong presumption in favor of public access.”

A lawyer for the school district and other defendants declined to comment on the settlement.

Dan Margolies is a senior reporter and editor at KCUR. You can reach him on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/DanMargolies">@DanMargolies</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/1/1578508426882.jpeg" alt="The assault occurred in 2017 at Westridge Middle School in Overland Park. Google Maps" />
 <figcaption>The assault occurred in 2017 at Westridge Middle School in Overland Park. Google Maps</figcaption>
 </figure>By DAN MARGOLIES, <a href="https://www.kcur.org/post/shawnee-mission-school-district-settles-sexual-assault-case-165000#stream/0">Kansas News Service</a>The
 Shawnee Mission school district and four district officials have agreed to pay $165,000 to resolve a lawsuit alleging school officials 
failed to take action against a middle school student accused of 
sexually assaulting another student.The district and officials 
agreed to the settlement in September but the amount was not disclosed 
until Monday, when U.S. District Judge Daniel Crabtree approved the 
settlement.The assault happened during study hall at Westridge 
Middle School in Overland Park in 2017, when a male student “forcibly 
put his hands” down a female student’s pants and “penetrated her,” 
according to the lawsuit, which was filed in October 2017.The 
lawsuit, filed by the female student (identified only as P.Y.) and her 
father, alleged the defendants had failed to report to law enforcement 
previous incidents of “unwelcome physical contact” involving the same 
male juvenile and three other female students.The district 
insisted it handled the 2017 incident appropriately and swiftly, 
suspending the juvenile shortly after it occurred and then expelling 
him.In December 2017, the juvenile was convicted of three counts
 of battery and one count of aggravated liberties with a child. He was 
sentenced to seven days in a juvenile facility, 21 days of house arrest 
and 12 months of probation and was required to register as a sex 
offender.In addition to the district, the lawsuit named as 
defendants former Shawnee Mission School Superintendent Jim Hinson, 
Westridge Principal Jeremy McDonnell, Westridge Assistant Principal Jade
 Peters and former school board member Craig Denny.As well as 
approving the settlement, Crabtree on Monday approved a provision 
allocating 45% of the settlement amount toward the plaintiffs’ attorney 
fees. Although he said it was “at the upper range of fee ranges 
appropriate for a settlement,” Crabtree found the fee award to be “fair 
and reasonable.”The plaintiffs had asked Crabtree to seal the 
amount of the settlement, but Crabtree, citing case law, said there was 
“a strong presumption in favor of public access.”A lawyer for the school district and other defendants declined to comment on the settlement.Dan Margolies is a senior reporter and editor at KCUR. You can reach him on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/DanMargolies">@DanMargolies</a>.

Kan. school district settles sexual assault case for $165K 

Mary Rosalie Hunt, 88, passed away January 7, 2020, at Clara Barton 
Hospital, Hoisington. She was born on October 20, 1931, at Claflin to 
James and Fannie (Newkirk) Hunt. She married Homer Philpott and he later
 passed away.

A Kansas City resident since 1969, Mary moved to Hoisington in 
November 2019 to be closer to family due to health reasons. She was the 
lay minister for Immanuel Lutheran Church in Kansas City and attended 
Crosswinds of Kansas Church in Hoisington. She previously worked as a 
claims representative for the Kansas City Social Security Office and was
 the ex-director of Shepherds Center in Kansas City. Mary was a 
volunteer at Bessie's House and a member of the Quilting Club.

Survivors include, a son, Mitchell "Lee" Grandclair of Hoisington; a 
stepdaughter, Mary Beth Bazine of Kansas City; six grandchildren, 
Matthew Grandclair (Jeanna, Tyler Grandclair (Jodi, and Wyatt 
Grandclair (April) all of Hoisington, Chrysta Sanchez (Arodie, Micala 
Merlott and Caleb Merlott; 11 great grandchildren; and a nephew, James 
Cunningham (Edye) of Topeka. She was preceded in death by her husband, 
Homer Philpott; a son, Thomas Auernheimer; a brother, Jack Hunt; and a 
sister, Sadie Cunningham.

Visitation will be held from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., Friday, January 10, 
2020 at Nicholson-Ricke Funeral Home, with family to greet friends from 6
 to 8 p.m. Funeral Service will be held at 2 p.m., Saturday, January 22,
 2020, at Nicholson-Ricke Funeral Home, with Pastor Mark Williams 
presiding. Interment will be in the Claflin Cemetery. Memorials are 
suggested to Bessie’s House and Shepherds Center, in care of 
Nicholson-Ricke Funeral Home, PO Box 146, Hoisington, Kansas 67544.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/1/1578513660527.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Mary Rosalie Hunt, 88, passed away January 7, 2020, at Clara Barton 
Hospital, Hoisington. She was born on October 20, 1931, at Claflin to 
James and Fannie (Newkirk) Hunt. She married Homer Philpott and he later
 passed away.A Kansas City resident since 1969, Mary moved to Hoisington in 
November 2019 to be closer to family due to health reasons. She was the 
lay minister for Immanuel Lutheran Church in Kansas City and attended 
Crosswinds of Kansas Church in Hoisington. She previously worked as a 
claims representative for the Kansas City Social Security Office and was
 the ex-director of Shepherds Center in Kansas City. Mary was a 
volunteer at Bessie's House and a member of the Quilting Club.Survivors include, a son, Mitchell "Lee" Grandclair of Hoisington; a 
stepdaughter, Mary Beth Bazine of Kansas City; six grandchildren, 
Matthew Grandclair (Jeanna, Tyler Grandclair (Jodi, and Wyatt 
Grandclair (April) all of Hoisington, Chrysta Sanchez (Arodie, Micala 
Merlott and Caleb Merlott; 11 great grandchildren; and a nephew, James 
Cunningham (Edye) of Topeka. She was preceded in death by her husband, 
Homer Philpott; a son, Thomas Auernheimer; a brother, Jack Hunt; and a 
sister, Sadie Cunningham.Visitation will be held from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., Friday, January 10, 
2020 at Nicholson-Ricke Funeral Home, with family to greet friends from 6
 to 8 p.m. Funeral Service will be held at 2 p.m., Saturday, January 22,
 2020, at Nicholson-Ricke Funeral Home, with Pastor Mark Williams 
presiding. Interment will be in the Claflin Cemetery. Memorials are 
suggested to Bessie’s House and Shepherds Center, in care of 
Nicholson-Ricke Funeral Home, PO Box 146, Hoisington, Kansas 67544.

Mary Rosalie Hunt

KANSAS CITY (AP) — Kansas City and a national gun safety advocacy group filed a lawsuit Tuesday alleging that several businesses and individuals trafficked firearms in the region while willfully ignoring evidence that the guns were being sold illegally.

The city was joined in the lawsuit by Everytown for Gun Safety Support Fund, a national gun safety advocacy group, which said it is the first such lawsuit filed against the gun industry in more than 10 years. The lawsuit alleges that the gun trafficking created a public nuisance in Kansas City, which has one of the highest&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/698de924acda60d9f4f6522cf6eaaae4">homicide rates&nbsp;</a>in the U.S.

Mayor Quenton Lucas said illegal gun trafficking has contributed to a surge in deaths and crime, and made residents feel less safe every day.

Kansas City recorded 148 homicides in 2019, a number that has increased every year since 2014, when there were 82. From June 2018 through May 2019, the city had a rate of 29.66 homicides per 100,000 people, which was a higher rate than cities such as Chicago and Washington, D.C. In December,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/90727160adfd0417372951b939847cdf">the Justice Department&nbsp;</a>announced that it will intensify federal law enforcement resources in seven cities, including Kansas City, in an effort to crack down on violent crime.

“We are going to take every avenue to make sure that we are ensuring that laws are enforced, our community is safe and that we are being creative to make sure Kansas Citians don't suffer for another generation, another epidemic of gun violence and gun crime," Lucas said.

The lawsuit targets a group that trafficked at least 77 firearms in the region between November 2013 and October 2018. Many of the guns were sold to felons and have been found at subsequent crime scenes while others have not been recovered, said Alla Lefkowitz, an attorney for Everytown Law who will help litigate the lawsuit.

James Samuels, a former Kansas City firefighter who has been charged in criminal court with several federal gun law violations, is named as the ringleader of scheme. The lawsuit also alleges that Nevada-based gun manufacturer Jimenez Arms, several local gun dealers and individuals illegally sold or transferred guns to Samuels without doing background checks or determining if the buyers had licenses to carry guns. The companies ignored obvious evidence that Samuels was breaking federal gun laws, according to the lawsuit.

"A gun trafficker cannot accomplish his work alone," Lefkowitz said. “He needs suppliers and straw buyers. He needs companies that are willing to look the other way and he needs individuals who are willing to lie for him. Unfortunately, Mr. Samuels was able to find a number of individuals and a number of companies. Companies who were willing to look the other way in the face of clear indicators of illegal gun trafficking. This case is about holding everyone who participated in illegal gun trafficking accountable."

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/1/1578485484989.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY (AP) — Kansas City and a national gun safety advocacy group filed a lawsuit Tuesday alleging that several businesses and individuals trafficked firearms in the region while willfully ignoring evidence that the guns were being sold illegally.The city was joined in the lawsuit by Everytown for Gun Safety Support Fund, a national gun safety advocacy group, which said it is the first such lawsuit filed against the gun industry in more than 10 years. The lawsuit alleges that the gun trafficking created a public nuisance in Kansas City, which has one of the highest&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/698de924acda60d9f4f6522cf6eaaae4">homicide rates&nbsp;</a>in the U.S.Mayor Quenton Lucas said illegal gun trafficking has contributed to a surge in deaths and crime, and made residents feel less safe every day.Kansas City recorded 148 homicides in 2019, a number that has increased every year since 2014, when there were 82. From June 2018 through May 2019, the city had a rate of 29.66 homicides per 100,000 people, which was a higher rate than cities such as Chicago and Washington, D.C. In December,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/90727160adfd0417372951b939847cdf">the Justice Department&nbsp;</a>announced that it will intensify federal law enforcement resources in seven cities, including Kansas City, in an effort to crack down on violent crime.“We are going to take every avenue to make sure that we are ensuring that laws are enforced, our community is safe and that we are being creative to make sure Kansas Citians don't suffer for another generation, another epidemic of gun violence and gun crime," Lucas said.The lawsuit targets a group that trafficked at least 77 firearms in the region between November 2013 and October 2018. Many of the guns were sold to felons and have been found at subsequent crime scenes while others have not been recovered, said Alla Lefkowitz, an attorney for Everytown Law who will help litigate the lawsuit.James Samuels, a former Kansas City firefighter who has been charged in criminal court with several federal gun law violations, is named as the ringleader of scheme. The lawsuit also alleges that Nevada-based gun manufacturer Jimenez Arms, several local gun dealers and individuals illegally sold or transferred guns to Samuels without doing background checks or determining if the buyers had licenses to carry guns. The companies ignored obvious evidence that Samuels was breaking federal gun laws, according to the lawsuit."A gun trafficker cannot accomplish his work alone," Lefkowitz said. “He needs suppliers and straw buyers. He needs companies that are willing to look the other way and he needs individuals who are willing to lie for him. Unfortunately, Mr. Samuels was able to find a number of individuals and a number of companies. Companies who were willing to look the other way in the face of clear indicators of illegal gun trafficking. This case is about holding everyone who participated in illegal gun trafficking accountable."Jimenez Arms did not immediately respond to a phone call and email seeking comment.Lefkowitz said similar lawsuits have not been filed because the federal Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act protects firearms manufacturers and dealers from being held liable when crimes are committed with their products. The federal law includes an exception for businesses that knowingly violate federal laws, which occurred in the Kansas City case, she said.Samuels was charged in October 2018 with illegally selling numerous firearms to people he knew were felons. He has pleaded not guilty. In June, Samuels was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/a02ffe6861b847b1a83f9bd69263900e">sued&nbsp;</a>by the parents of Alvino Dwight Crawford, who was killed in 2016, allegedly by one of the 77 firearms that Samuels trafficked in the Kansas City region. Everytown Law also filed that lawsuit, which is ongoing.The lawsuit asks the court to order Jimenez and the three gun dealers to recover the guns that are possibly still in circulation; to follow comply with state and federal firearms laws; submit to five years of court supervision; to train employees; and post bond payments they could lose if they commit future violations.The city is also seeking financial damages to reimburse the cost of emergency response and police services, legal expenses and other services and programs aimed at gun violence.