DETROIT (AP) — Contract talks between General Motors and striking United Auto Workers took a step closer to reaching an agreement Wednesday when committees finished their work and sent it to the top bargainers.
Governor Laura Kelly met with striking workers in Kansas last week -photo courtesy office of Kansas Governor
The move means that minor issues largely are resolved, and a few bargainers for both sides will now try to come to terms on wages, use of temporary workers and other contentious issues.
UAW Vice President Terry Dittes outlined the development in a letter to members. He says the union presented material to GM and is waiting for a response.
“This back and forth will continue until negotiations are complete,” Dittes wrote. “We will continue to bargain this contract until your Bargaining Committee is satisfied that we have achieved an agreement that properly addresses our members’ concerns.”
In a statement, GM spokesman Dan Flores said the company will “continue to bargain in good faith, and our goal remains to reach an agreement that builds a stronger future for our employees and our company.”
Art Schwartz, a former GM negotiator who now runs a labor consulting business in Ann Arbor, Michigan, said shifting work to the main table is a good sign. But it’s tough to say how far apart both sides are on the major economic issues, he said.
“It kind of depends on how hard each side holds out. Collective bargaining is the art of compromise,” he said. “This is probably a couple people from each side are going to hammer out the final economics.” Schwartz said.
The strike by about 49,000 workers, in its 10th day, has halted production at more than 30 GM factories nationwide.
Both sides are losing money, with one analyst estimating the strike costs GM $100 million in profits per day. Workers, on the other hand, got their last GM paycheck last Friday and are scheduled to get $250 in weekly strike pay starting this Friday.
GM has been forced to close one Canadian factory and lay off workers at another. Its dealers also are starting to run short of repair parts at their service centers. Companies that make parts for factories also are starting to lay off workers. Canadian supplier Magna International said it has laid off an unspecified number of employees.
ELLIS COUNTY — A 34-year-old Hays man was arrested Wednesday north of Catharine after a nearly four-hour standoff.
According to the Ellis County Sheriff’s Office, just before 4:30 p.m. law enforcement officials were called to the 2200 block of Feedlot Road for the report of an unlawful discharge of a firearm.
During the incident, the man reportedly discharged a weapon several times.
The man, who has not been identified, was apprehended just after 8 p.m.
The Kansas Highway Patrol, Hays Police Department, Ellis County EMS, Rural Fire and Hays Drone Service all assisted during the incident.
FINNEY COUNTY— One person died in an accident just after 8:30p.m. Wednesday in Finney County.
The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 1997 Ford F150 driven by Rafael Marino-Ortiz, 54, Schuler, NE., west bound on U.S. 50 six miles east of Garden City.
The pickup had tire damage. The driver lost control of the vehicle. It left the roadway to the north, rolled and a passenger was ejected
Adame-Leon, Guadalupe, 72, Schuyler, NE, was pronounced dead at the scene.
Marino-Ortiz, Rafael and passenger, Cristina Solache-Tellez, 45, Lexington, NE., were transported to the hospital in Garden City. The two passengers were not wearing seat belts, according to the KHP.
LEAVENWORTH – A Kansas woman has been found guilty of Medicaid fraud and committing a computer crime, according to Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt.
Mathis photo Leavenworth County
Ena Louise Mathis, 53, Leavenworth, pleaded guilty in Leavenworth County District Court to one felony count of Medicaid fraud and one felony count of committing a computer crime.
The case stemmed from an investigation by the Attorney General’s Office Medicaid Fraud and Abuse Division, which revealed Mathis submitted false claims to the Medicaid program to pay for in-home assistance for a Medicaid beneficiary during times when the beneficiary was in a hospital or a resident in a nursing facility.
In total, Mathis falsely billed the Medicaid program for $6,425 over an interactive computer system used by the Medicaid program. The crimes occurred between July 28, 2016, and January 31, 2017.
HUTCHINSON, Kan. (AP) — A Kansas man is suing the city and a police officer after he was stopped while riding a bicycle and subsequently spent time in jail for a drug conviction that was later overturned.
Jon Heter has three previous drug convictions and one for driving while suspended, according to the Kansas Dept. of Corrections
Jon Heter, 55, Hutchinson, was stopped in November 2016 for not having a headlight on his bike. When Heter gave a false name to the officer and refused to give his birthday, officer Josh Long arrested him.
Long later discovered Heter had an outstanding warrant and also found methamphetamine in a container on the bike. Heter was convicted of drug charges and spent three months in prison before the conviction was overturned.
In a lawsuit filed Monday, Heter argues his constitutional rights were violated and the arrest was unlawful. Heter is seeking more than $75,000 in damages.
RENO COUNTY — One person was injured in an accident just before 5p.m. Wednesday in Reno County.
The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2012 Toyota Camry driven by Valerie Diane Hornbaker, 63, Hutchinson, was northbound on N Poplar at Lake Talbot at the Kansas State Fairgrounds. The driver failed to negotiate a slight curve.
The vehicle left the roadway to the right, struck a tree, overturned and landed on its top.
EMS transported Hornbaker to Hutchinson Regional Medical Center. She was properly restrained at the time of the accident, according to the KHP.
OVERLAND PARK, Kan. (AP) — The federal government has accused Sprint Corp. of failing to provide service to low-income subscribers after accepting millions of dollars in subsidies to do so.
Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai said Tuesday he’s asked the agency’s enforcement bureau to investigate.
KCUR reports Sprint said it had used government funds to provide monthly subsidies for about 885,000 subscribers to the program, called Lifeline. Under the program, low-income consumers are given a $9.25 monthly subsidy toward phone and broadband service
FCC spokesman Mark Wigfield said it’s unclear how much money Sprint received for the program. But Sprint collected at least $8.2 million a month for some period of time.
Sprint said in a statement that it made an error in July 2017 while implementing changes to the Lifeline program that the FCC had approved. Sprint said it would reimburse federal and state governments for subsidy payments collected because of the error
WASHINGTON — It’s vaping week on capitol hill. House Committee on Oversight and Reform heard from officials at the CDC Tuesday.
KDHE Secretary Dr. Lee Norman during Wednesday’s testimony image courtesy Energy and Commerce Committee
On Wednesday, Kansas Department of Health and Environment Secretary Dr. Lee Norman addressed the subcommittee in Washington. The hearing “Sounding the Alarm: The Public Health Threats of E-Cigarettes.” Kansas has had two confirmed deaths related to vaping.
Chair DeGette, Ranking Member Guthrie, and distinguished subcommittee members thank you for the opportunity to appear before the House Energy and Commerce Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee today to discuss the need to the public health emergency regarding e-cigarettes, or as the industry has termed it, vaping.
We greatly appreciate your attention to this issue of critical importance to the health of the population. As the State Health Officer of Kansas, a US Army Lieutenant Colonel and the State Surgeon of Kansas, and as a recently-deployed 35th Infantry theater medical commander in the Middle East, I have personally witnessed the deleterious impact addiction to any substance, whether it be nicotine, alcohol or illicit substances has on the citizens of Kansas and the economic costs to our entire health care system. I am now witnessing an outbreak of lung diseases impacting our state and recently claim the life of one Kansan. Our youth were poised to be the generation that ended smoking.
That legacy is now in jeopardy. Youth usage of e-cigarettes, along with outbreak of lung diseases that continue to be investigated, is alarming. As a physician, public servant, military serviceman, father and grandfather,
I owe it to the troops I work with, the staff I support and the Kansans I serve, to do what I can to win this battle for our youth. In Kansas, we currently have eight probable/confirmed vaping related cases with one of those being a death. Of the cases, four are male and four are female and range in age from 17-57 years old. All were hospitalized, five have been released from the hospital and two remain hospitalized. Regarding the types of vaping products used, three of the patients reported using only nicotine, two reported only THC, one reported using CBD, and two reported using both THC and nicotine.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) e-cigarettes typically contain nicotine, most also contain flavorings and other chemicals, and some may contain marijuana or other substances. They are known by many different names and come in many shapes, sizes and device types. E-cigarettes can contain harmful or potentially harmful substances, including nicotine, heavy metals (e.g., lead), volatile organic compounds, and cancer-causing chemicals.
Additionally, some e-cigarette products are used to deliver illicit substances; may be acquired from unknown or unauthorized (i.e., “street”) sources; and may be modified for uses that could increase their potential for harm to the user.
Youth, young adults, pregnant women, as well as adults who do not currently use tobacco products should not use e-cigarettes. E-cigarettes containing nicotine have the potential to help some individual adult smokers reduce their use of and transition away from cigarettes.
However, e-cigarettes are not currently approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as a quit smoking aid, and the available science is inconclusive on whether e-cigarettes are effective for quitting smoking.1 E-cigarettes are the most commonly used tobacco product among youth.
Forty-four percent of Kansas high school youth who use e-cigarettes also currently use conventional cigarettes. Nationally, 96.1 percent of youth who initiated e-cigarette use between 2016 and 2017 did so with a flavored e-cigarette product. Preliminary findings from the 2019 National Youth Tobacco Survey (NYTS) were reported. They found over one quarter of U.S. high school students report using an e-cigarette product in the past 30 days, an increase from 2018 when the rate of past 30-day use was 20.8 percent. Most teens who are vaping never smoked cigarettes.
Vaping is how they are initiating inhaling substances into their lungs. In Kansas, the top reasons why youth report using e-cigarettes include: a friend or family member uses, its availability in different flavors; and they perceive it as being less harmful than other forms of tobacco. We must work diligently to stop youth from acquiring and using e-cigarettes or vaping devices.
States are taking a leading role in implementing strong action to protect consumers from the harms of ecigarette product use. New York has also banned most flavored vaping products but will allow mint and menthol flavorings to remain on the shelves. California announced a crackdown on illegal and counterfeit vaping products and allocated funds into a public awareness campaign on vaping harms. Kansas is committed to combating the issue.
We are actively reviewing policy options to address this epidemic, which includes options to ban of flavored e-cigarette products through executive action or passing of legislation as the federal government moves ahead with its own regulatory plan. To increase education regarding e-cigarettes and what the tobacco industry has termed as “vaping,”
KDHE and the Kansas Department of Education partnered to develop a Vape-Free Schools kit. Schools are urged to adopt the kit and parents and caretakers are encouraged to have conversations with their children. I recognize this to be a public health emergency of considerable importance. As Chief Medical Officer of large health systems for over 25 years,
I have served as incident commander for H1N1 pandemic influenza, Ebola, the ongoing opioid epidemic, and now this. We are currently losing the battle against e-cigarettes and vaping, and we do not even understand the cause. We need a diligent and consistent approach to solving this, including thoughtful policy-making and regulatory changes, in the name of consumer protection and the public’s health. I am happy to participate in the effort.
NORTON COUNTY —The Preliminary autopsy results indicate Norton Correctional Facility Central Unit offender, Jeremy J. Palmer, died as a result of a cardiac event while working at a private industry worksite September 16.
According to a media release from the Kansas Department of Corrections, Co-workers performed CPR until arrival of Phillips County Emergency Medical Services. He was transported by ambulance to the Norton County Hospital where he was later pronounced dead.
Palmer was serving a 97-month sentence for previous convictions in Barton, Ford and Thomas counties. In 2013, he was found guilty in Thomas County of possession of heroin and methamphetamine, with intent to distribute. In Barton and Ford counties in 2016, he was found guilty of distribution of opiates, fleeing and eluding a law enforcement officer, and was charged with interference of law enforcement.
The Norton Correctional Facility houses low-medium and minimum-custody male offenders and has a population of 970.
MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — The trial of a Kansas man charged in an infant’s death ended in a hung jury.
The jury on Tuesday could not reach a unanimous verdict in the first-degree murder and child abuse trial of D’Khari Lyons of Manhattan. Lyons was charged after 2½-month-old Michael Calver Jr. died in November 2018 while Lyons was watching him.
When Michael’s mother returned home, the boy was having trouble breathing and was bruised. He died three days later at a Kansas City hospital.
Officials ruled Michael died from head trauma after sustaining severe internal injuries.
Prosecutors alleged Lyons hurt the child to stop him from crying. Lyons testified he wouldn’t hurt a child and didn’t know what caused Michael’s injuries.
Judge Meryl Wilson set a hearing for Oct. 7 to determine how to proceed.
