TOPEKA—The hours of operation for most driver’s license office in Kansas will change starting Monday.

The new hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday beginning this Monday, October 29. Under the previous schedule, offices statewide were closed Mondays.

“This is just one of the changes to driver’s license operations we are rolling out in addition to mobile renewals and faster service in the offices,” Director of Vehicles David Harper said.

The last day for Saturday hours for offices in Topeka, Overland Park, Mission, Olathe, Wichita, Derby, and Andover is tomorrow, October 27. Those offices will be open 7:30 a.m. to 11:15 a.m.

Driver’s and ID holder who want a Real ID should use the document checklist to make sure they have everything they need before visiting the office.

TOPEKA – On Halloween, ghosts and ghouls may give you a fright, but real dangers, like pedestrian accidents, falls, burns and poisonings are a scary reality. Safe Kids Kansas, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, the Office of the State Fire Marshal and the Kansas Traffic Safety Resource Office (KTSRO) remind families to keep safety in mind during fall festivities to ensure your trick-or-treaters enjoy a safe holiday.

On average, children are more than twice as likely to be hit by a vehicle and killed on Halloween than on any other day of the year. Drivers need to slow down and be extra alert, especially in neighborhoods, as there will be more children on the streets and sidewalks—and those kids may be focused on gathering candy and the excitement of the holiday rather than being careful while crossing streets.

“Review safety rules with your kids before they leave the house,” said Cherie Sage, Safe Kids Kansas. “Trick-or-treaters are often out when it’s dark, and it’s more difficult for drivers to see them. Children younger than 12 should not cross streets alone on Halloween without an adult or older responsible teenager. While it’s a good idea for children to have a cell phone with them in case of an emergency, remind them to pay attention to their surroundings, and not be distracted from hazards because they are texting or talking on the phone.”

Parents and kids should also be careful with candy. It’s hard to resist the temptation to dive right into treats, but it is best to check sweets for signs of tampering before children are allowed to eat them. Only eat treats in original and unopened wrappers.

According to the National Fire Protection Association, during the five-year period from 2009-2013, decorations were the item that first ignited in an estimated 860 reported home structure fires per year. Nearly half of those fires in homes happened because decorations were too close to a heat source. Forty-one percent of these incidents were started by candles. These fires caused an estimated average of one civilian death, 41 civilian injuries and $13 million in direct property damage per year.

With Halloween just a few days away, follow these tips to ensure your trick-or-treaters have a fun and safe holiday.

Decorating Safely

• Choose costumes and decorations that are flame-resistance or flame-retardant, and avoid placing flammable materials such as hay bales, corn stalks and paper decorations near a heat source, including light bulbs and heaters.

• Keep exits clear of decorations and props so nothing blocks escape routes.

• Use battery-operated candles in jack-o-lanterns and when decorating pathways and yards.
• Set a reminder to blow out any candles and unplug lights.
• Use a single extension cord that is the right length for your outdoor lights and decorations. Do not connect multiple cords.

• Teach your children who are going to parties and haunted houses to look for the exits and have a way out in case of an emergency.

Walk Safely

• Cross the street at corners, using traffic signals and crosswalks.
• Look left, right and left again when crossing and keep looking as you cross.
• Put electronic devices down and keep heads up and walk, don’t run, across the street.
• Teach children to make eye contact with drivers before crossing in front of them.
• Always walk on sidewalks or paths. If there are no sidewalks, walk facing traffic as far to
  the left as possible. Children should walk on direct routes with the fewest street crossings.
• Watch for cars that are turning or backing up. Teach children to never dart out into the street or cross between parked cars.

Trick or Treat with an Adult

• Children under the age of 12 should not be alone at night without adult supervision. If kids are mature enough to be out without supervision, they should stick to familiar areas that are well lit and trick-or-treat in groups.

Keep Costumes Both Creative and Safe

• When choosing a costume, stay away from long trailing fabric. Purchase only ones that are labeled flame-resistant or flame-retardant.
• Decorate costumes and bags with reflective tape or stickers and, if possible, choose light colors.
• Choose face paint and makeup whenever possible instead of masks, which can obstruct a child’s vision.
• Have kids carry glow sticks or flashlights to help them see and be seen by drivers.
• When selecting a costume, make sure it is the right size to prevent trips and falls.

Drive Extra Safely on Halloween

• Slow down and be especially alert in residential neighborhoods. Children are excited on Halloween and may move in unpredictable ways.
• Take extra time to look for kids at intersections, on medians and on curbs.
• Enter and exit driveways and alleys slowly and carefully.
• Eliminate any distractions inside your car so you can concentrate on the road and your surroundings.
• Drive slowly, anticipate heavy pedestrian traffic and turn your headlights on earlier in the day to spot children from greater distances.
• Popular trick-or-treating hours are 5:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., so be especially alert for kids during those hours.

For more tips on how to keep kids safe on Halloween and throughout the year, visit www.safekids.org.

LIVINGSTON COUNTY —A Northwest Missouri man died in an accident just after 1:30p.m. Saturday in Livingston County.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 1958 John Deere Tractor driven by Mark E. Burton, 43, Chillicothe, was westbound down a private drive ten miles southwest of Chillicothe.

The driver was thrown from the tractor when it crossed Livingston 451 and hit a ditch. The tractor ran over him.

EMS transported Burton to Hedrick Medical Center where he died.

TOPEKA – To better assist job seekers with finding great employment in Kansas, the Kansas Department of Commerce and KANSASWORKS are pleased to introduce the new KANSASWORKS app, available on both Apple and Android devices.

This free app was designed to make it easier for Kansans to find work in the state. Once installed, the app will be able to find jobs through keyword and title searches or by zip code.

“Our agency is working hard to bring new business to the state and help companies that already call Kansas home to grow and become great successes,” said Robert North, interim secretary of the Kansas Department of Commerce. “To grow a business anywhere, you need a pipeline of qualified employees to fill open positions. If we can make finding and hiring great workers easier, and at the same time help Kansans find rewarding employment, then this app will be a be a huge benefit to the state.”

Features of the app include:

•   Simple job search in Kansas
•   Search by job title, location and radius you’re willing to commute
•   View jobs that suite your goals
•   Connect with employers via KANSASWORKS.com, save jobs and share with friends
•   Bookmark your favorite jobs for follow up
•   Find a local KANSASWORK Workforce Center

“KANSASWORKS has been busy leveraging technology to assist employers and job seekers in our state, and this app is the latest effort to make it easier to help make matches between the needs of our employers with job seekers on the market,” said Mike Beene, director of employment services at the Kansas Department of Commerce.

DEKALB COUNTY — One person died in an accident just before 11:30a.m. Saturday in DeKalb County.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2007 Dodge Caravan driven by Brian K. Candler, 55, Stewartsville, was eastbound on U.S. 36 one mile east of Stewartsville.

The van ran off the north side of the road, struck the crossover embankment, became airborne and rolled.

Candler was pronounced dead at the scene and transported to the funeral home in Maysville. He was not wearing a seat belt, according to the MSHP.

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) – Missouri’s health department says it mailed more than 10,400 letters to notify people that there was a security breach of personal information.

According to a Friday release from the Health and Senior Services Department, the 2016 breach included names, dates of birth and in some cases social security numbers. The health department discovered the breach in August.

According to the agency, department officials have no reason to believe the personal information was viewed or used by anyone intending harm.

Department Director Randall Williams says that a former state contractor might have illegally retained the information.

Office of Administration spokeswoman Brittany Ruess says the agency referred the issue to the Attorney General’s Office. She says the issue was not caused by a breach of the state of Missouri’s information technology system.

By Kelsey Johnson, communication assistant

They go by the name “Cat Callers” and are constantly making calls throughout their three-hour shifts. Numerous voices are on the phone at once, and the sound of typing comes from all directions. They are calling Northwest alumni, friends of the institution and parents of current students, asking to them to consider giving to the Northwest Fund, an unrestricted account that supports the greatest needs of the University.

And their efforts are paying off. The call center finished the fiscal year with more than $32,000 in family donations, a new record for the University.

Shelby Bottiger started work in May as Northwest’s annual giving and alumni relations specialist. She also is a proud Northwest alumna and supports the Northwest Fund and the growth of the University.

“I am so passionate about Northwest and student success,” Bottiger said. “This job is very rewarding because I get to see how money from private support goes directly to students every single day, whether it’s for scholarships, profession-based learning or for a specific department that is able to offer something they previously could not. I get to tell the story of how students benefit from private support to encourage alumni to give back to Northwest.”

Bottiger has strengthened the call center by implementing an eight-hour training session for new Cat Callers and provides guidance on conversing with alumni.

“We do not use a word-for-word script to read from, because we want the conversation to be genuine,” Bottiger said. “However, there are parts of the call the Cat Callers must hit, so we go through each part and they write it in their own words. From there, they practice reading it out loud so they can get comfortable with what they’re going to say on the phone.”

Bottiger decorated the walls of the call center with a Hawaiian theme to help create a positive, relaxing environment. The Cat Callers also enjoy the connections they make with alumni as well as the sometimes surprising conversations each phone call brings.

“I really enjoy working with Shelby,” Kelly Hoffmann, a Cat Caller supervisor and a senior chemistry major from New Haven, Missouri, said. “She has brought a fun and positive energy to the call center, and she has helped the confidence of new callers. When I first started here, I struggled with my conversations on the phone, so having her to build us as callers has helped a lot.”

Hoffmann has been a Cat Caller since her freshman year. Now she is a student supervisor and helps new Cat Callers improve their phone calls through evaluations and feedback. Hoffmann’s favorite part of the work is talking to alumni who enjoy sharing their experiences at Northwest.

“I have gotten to talk to so many different people who I never would have been able to talk to if I hadn’t worked here,” Hoffmann said. “I learned a lot of Northwest history through being here. I have talked to alumni who were students here during the Roberta (Hall) explosion and even women who knew Roberta (Steel). Some say she is the sweetest soul and would never haunt campus, and others say she was the biggest jokester, and they know for sure she is haunting the halls.”

After finishing a phone call with an alumnus who started a judo club at Northwest in the 70s, Cooper Finnicum, a freshman pre-dental major from Topeka, Kansas, says he is enjoying his first semester as a Cat Caller because of the connections he is making and the rewarding feeling of personal growth within the job.

“When I was looking for a job on campus, I saw the job posting for Cat Callers and thought the name was funny,” Funnicum said. “After clicking on it and seeing what the job was, I thought, ‘Wow, you get to talk to people and get paid?’ Now, I have had cool conversations with Northwest alumni. It is so rewarding knowing you are helping the University, too. I struggled a lot at first, so when I got my first gift I just thought, ‘I can’t believe I did that.’”

Bottiger is proud of the Cat Callers’ success.

“Our current Cat Callers do a great job of telling our story to the alumni of the continued success that we have, and I just feel that we keep offering more and more opportunities for students to prepare them for the future,” Bottiger said.

For more information about the Northwest Foundation or to make a gift to support Northwest, contact the Office of University Advancement at 660.562.1248 or visit www.nwmissouri.edu/GiveOnline.