Former Fredonia official guilty on child porn charge
FREDONIA A former Fredonia city administrator pleaded guilty to child pornography charges, according to The Wilson County Citizen. Michael Ohrt, 40, entered a plea in November after a grand jury handed down an indictment with four charges related to child pornography. The indictment said that between December 2016 and June 2017, Ohrt possessed and transmitted via the internet, images of prepubescent minors engaged in sex acts. Ohrt was hired as city administrator in December 2016 and city commissioners decided not to renew his contract in October 2017.
Area hospital talks about impact of Medicaid expansion
CHANUTE If Kansas had expanded Medicaid, it would have reduced the $5.1 million in bad debt Neosho Memorial Regional Medical Center expects from 2019, The Chanute Tribune reported. NMRMC officials provided services for 2,040 uninsured patients in 2019 for total estimated charges of $6.1 million. That translates to 8.8% of total revenue and 6.1% of total patients. Its not known how many of those uninsured patients would qualify for Medicaid if it were expanded in Kansas.
Road work likely to lead to long detour
GARNETT A highway reconstruction project between Welda and Garnett starts this spring and eventually is expected to reroute motorists quite a distance from the usual route along U.S. 169, according to The Anderson County Review. The first phase of construction likely will use flaggers and a pilot car or traffic signals to lead traffic on U.S. 169, but later phases will close the highway and divert traffic to a state route. That route has not yet been announced, but it likely would mean using U.S. 69 to the east or U.S. 75 to the west. Either route would add significant drive time for motorists.
Distribution plant moves into Parsons
PARSONS A Garden City company has chosen Great Plains in Parsons as its newest distribution location, according to The Parsons Sun. Transportation Partners & Logistics, owner and operator of the largest wind component distribution center in North America, will begin receiving rail shipments in Great Plains the first week of February.
City hall moves
BURLINGTON Burlington City Hall officially moved from downtown Burlington to 1013 N. Fourth Street, The Coffey County Republican reported. The city officially closed on the purchase of the former Lyon Coffey Electric Cooperative building Dec. 18. City hall has been operating from the new building since the former location flooded around Memorial Day weekend.
Beehive leads to damage discovery
CHANUTE A Chanute pastor called bees providential from God, after the removal of a large beehive at the Living Word Assembly Church revealed extensive damage to the structural integrity of the building. Termite and water damage was found at the front of the building, where crosses are held by a wooden frame and plaster. The church was built in the early 1980s.
