MANHATTAN- One Kansas teen died and another was injured in an accident just before 5 a.m. on Sunday in Riley County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 1998 Chevy Camaro driven by Wyatt, R. Howe, 17, Riley, was westbound on Anderson Avenue four miles west of Manhattan.

The driver lost control of the car. It traveled into the north ditch and struck a tree.

A passenger Brent E. Kilbourn, 17, Riley, was pronounced dead at the scene and transported to Anderes-Pfeifley Funeral Home.

Howe was transported to Stormont Vail in Topeka.
The KHP reported they were not wearing seat belts.

JEFFERSON CITY (AP) – A Missouri lawmaker wants to set deadlines for altering ballot measures in an effort to save the state money on reprinting costs.

Republican State Rep. Will Kraus of Lee’s Summit this week filed legislation to block changes to a ballot initiative or referendum eight weeks before an election, about two weeks earlier than the current general standard.

The bill follows thousands of dollars in reprinting expenses to local counties after a judge in September ruled to change wording for an early voting proposal.

A Secretary of State spokeswoman says early estimates put the cost statewide at about $705,000.

The state will reimburse counties for the cost.

Some county clerks say late changes also make it difficult to get ballots to military and overseas voters in time.

KELLI KENNEDY, Associated Press

MIAMI (AP) — Primary care doctors might be working longer hours, hiring more staff and relying on nurse practitioners, but the majority seem to be finding a way to keep up with the 6.7 million new patients under the Affordable Care Act.

One of the purposes of the new health law was connecting patients with primary care doctors to prevent them from landing in the emergency room.

But a survey this year by The Physicians Foundation found that 81 percent of doctors describe themselves as either over-extended or at full capacity. Insurance companies are also limiting the number of doctors on their plans to cut costs.

There have been isolated reports of consumers struggling to get appointments. But experts say most patients are receiving the care they need, even if they have to drive farther, wait longer or see a nurse practitioner.

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback isn’t publicly ruling out any ideas for helping to close state budget shortfalls.

That’s left officials and lawmakers to speculate about the proposals he’s expected to roll out before the Legislature convenes again Jan. 12.

The Republican governor’s administration is working on a plan to close combined shortfalls of more than $700 million in the current and next state budgets.

A few GOP legislators have talked about diverting money set aside for big highway projects or backtracking on aggressive personal income tax cuts enacted at Brownback’s urging in 2012 and 2013 in an effort to stimulate the economy.

The budget problems also could jeopardize increased funding for public employee pensions aimed at stabilizing the long-term health of the retirement system for teachers and government workers.

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — A sexual assault task force at the University of Kansas wants to make it clear that students can be disciplined for sexual misconduct no matter how far from campus it occurred.

The Lawrence Journal-World reports the task force finished proposed changes to the student code on Friday and plans to submit a bill recommending the changes to the Student Senate in January.

The main intent of the proposal is to specify that its policies apply to students who commit sexual wrongdoing in places like off-campus apartments and Greek houses. Task force co-chairwoman Angela Murphy says it also would cover students “on the beach on spring break or even farther away.”

The university already contends its student code already allows it to discipline students who commit off-campus offenses.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama says it’s going to take time and vigilance to tackle problems as “deeply rooted” as racism and bias.

He says gains have been made, and that gives hope for more progress. Obama is advising young people to be persistent because he says progress usually comes in steps.

The president says in an interview with BET that he’s advising young Americans to be “steady” and not give up “when you don’t get all the way there.”

Obama met with youth civil rights activists at the White House last week. He says he told them that as painful as some recent incidents have been, “we can’t equate” what’s happening now with what was happening 50 years ago.

The full interview is set to air this Monday night.

Eliminate meat from my diet?

No way. Just the thought of it leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

Be honest, have you ever thrown a couple of pounds of linguine on the grill and watched it cook while you sipped a fine burgundy or single-malt scotch?

Don’t get me wrong, I love vegetables. I eat them with every meal, however I consider them a side dish – essential but for me the main course is meat, whether it is beef, pork, lamb or chicken. I love fresh fish too.

When it comes to eating, the truth is, nothing compares to the smell, sound and taste of a steak sizzling over an open fire.

Kansas City Strip. T-Bone. Porterhouse. Rib Eye.

Thick. Juicy. Delicious.

Fist-sized pork chops aren’t bad either. And don’t forget a grilled leg of lamb. Superb dining.

Unfortunately, a widespread general consensus on red meat can be summed up in two words, “Eat less.” This has triggered a decline in the consumption of red meat and a drop in income for livestock producers.

Meatless Monday is an international campaign that encourages people to not eat meat on Mondays to improve their health and that of our planet. It was founded in 2003 by marketing professional Sid Lerner.

When it comes to making decisions about the food I eat, I prefer to consider the findings of someone who has conducted scientific research on what makes a healthy diet. The question here becomes whether the concerns about red meat are scientifically sound.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture suggests eating two to three servings of meat, poultry, fish, dry beans, eggs and nuts each day. The key is to choose lean cuts of meat and trim the fat from the meat before or after cooking.

No matter how you cut it, all lean meats are high in nutritional quality. Beef, pork and lamb have been recognized as healthy sources of top quality protein, as well as thiamin, pantothenic acid, niacin and vitamins B-6 and B-12.

Red meats are also excellent sources of iron, copper, zinc and manganese – minerals not easily obtained in sufficient amounts in diets without meats, according to food guidelines by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Lean meats eaten in moderation as part of a varied diet, including lots of fruits and vegetables, are not only healthy but also essential. Just as important, beef-steak, pork roast and lamb chops taste good.

Fire up the grill. Writing this column has made me hungry.

John Schlageck, a Hoxie native, is a leading commentator on agriculture and rural Kansas.

By Andy Marso
KHI News Service

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — As flu cases begin to appear in Kansas, a former Centers for Disease Control and Prevention epidemiologist urged providers to continue distributing the flu vaccine while also preparing antiviral medications for high-risk patients.

William Atkinson, a doctor who spent 25 years at the CDC and is now associate director for immunization at the Immunization Action Coalition, said there’s still time to inoculate more of the population before the flu season peaks.

“Don’t stop just because Thanksgiving has passed,” Atkinson told an audience of about 40 at a Thursday meeting of the Mother & Child Health Coalition in Kansas City, Mo. “Keep going as long as you’ve got it.”
People 6 months of age and older are recommended to get a flu shot in the United States, where Atkinson said flu still kills more children than all other vaccine-preventable diseases.

About 100 children died of flu last year, Atkinson said, and that number may be low because it represents only the confirmed cases.

The illness is even more fatal in people 65 and older, who make up the bulk of the thousands of flu deaths each year.

Need for antiviral use

Atkinson emphasized that a recent CDC alert about possible compromised effectiveness of this year’s flu vaccine was not intended to discourage its use, but rather to inform providers about the urgency of dispensing antiviral medications to high-risk patients with flu-like symptoms.

The CDC alert warned that early cases of the flu this year have predominately been of the influenza A (H3N2) type, which the annual vaccine has traditionally been less effective in preventing. But Atkinson said there are many types of flu that the shot will still be effective against and, because influenza seasons are unpredictable, it’s impossible to know yet just how comprehensive the shot will be this year.

“The vaccine is still effective and will work most of the time,” Atkinson said. “It may work almost all the time.”

The CDC alert advises that patients with flu-like symptoms who are at high risk of complications should be administered antiviral drugs such as Tamiflu or Relenza before laboratory tests have confirmed influenza. Such drugs shorten the duration of influenza and can prevent complications, especially when administered within 48 hours of first symptoms.

Those at risk of complications include patients who are older or have underlying health conditions.

“Those are the people you need to pull the trigger on your antiviral drugs sooner rather than later,” Atkinson said. “That was basically the message.”

The message is timely, Atkinson said, because flu season has begun in many states.

The CDC’s weekly surveillance map showed “local” outbreaks of flu in Kansas and Missouri as of Nov. 22, and on Thursday the Sedgwick County Health Department confirmed the first cases of flu in that area this season.

Misty Kruger, a spokeswoman for the Shawnee County Health Agency, said via email that she could not confirm the presence of the illness in the county but said that flu cases have occurred in the northeast Kansas region.

Kruger said the health agency still has flu vaccine and encourages residents to get vaccinated “wherever flu shots are available within the community.” The agency also reminds people to wash their hands frequently, cover their mouth when they cough and stay home when ill to avoid spreading influenza.

‘High dose’ for seniors

Atkinson said some versions of the flu vaccine have been shown to be more effective for different demographics.

He said he now recommends a “high dose” version for seniors, including his parents.

“There now is data that is clear, that this vaccine when given to people 65 and older, the high dose vaccine compared to the regular vaccine, it works better,” Atkinson said. “It reduces influenza disease and complications in people 65 and older.”

Atkinson also said the “data are quite convincing” that a live vaccine administered by nasal spray is more effective in children, though studies have yet to show any added benefit for adults.

“Nobody understands exactly why, but clearly it’s better in children,” Atkinson said.

The nasal spray, or flu mist, is approved for ages 2 through 49. Atkinson advised that providers should administer it to patients age 2 through 8 if they can, but give the traditional injection if that’s all they have on hand.

“If you don’t have flu mist — you ran out, didn’t order enough, whatever reason — don’t let them go,” Atkinson said. “Don’t let them out of your sight before you get a dose of influenza vaccine into them. Don’t send them away and say, ‘Come back next week,’ because odds are they won’t. Get them while you’ve got them there.”

Andy Marso is a reporter for Heartland Health Monitor, a news collaboration focusing on health issues and their impact in Missouri and Kansas.