The Weekender Thursday, July 3, 2014
Surprise halt to program dismays Medicaid providers By MIKE SHIELDS KHI News Service
TOPEKA — Kansas Medicaid providers with expansion plans ready to go after spending months and thousands of dollars preparing for the state’s new health homes initiative said they were “shocked” and “disappointed” that state officials abruptly chose to indefinitely delay much of the program’s implementation while giving the providers less than 24 hours’ notice of the state’s decision to hit the pause button. “We’ll just have to dismantle everything. I’m not sure it’s feasible to do it twice,” said Krista Postai, chief executive of the Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas, a safety net clinic based in Pittsburg and with satellites in nearby towns, including Iola. “That final-hour thing is really quite shocking. I’m not used to dealing with anything like this. This was
Bill Asher repairs bikes and has six available. REGISTER/BOB JOHNSON
Pastime comes with purpose By BOB JOHNSON The Iola Register
Bill Asher, 77, has a goal in his retirement — to stay busy and reach 101. The first is easy. And he thinks it may help with the latter. When he reaches 101, Bill and wife Diana will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary, an event for which Bill is eager. He worked full time until
a little over a year ago, when fluid near a hip joint ended his mowing career for Iola after three weeks, and since then Bill has turned his attention to reconditioning bicycles. Close to 100 have rolled out of his shop, Bill estimated late Wednesday morning. For a while he gave bicycles away and still does if it’s obvious someone stopping by the Ashers’ well-kept place south of Iola, 1065 1400 St., is in need. When the Register report-
ed about a homeless couple a while back, Bill dropped by a bicycle for the man to ride to work. “I’m happy to help out when I can,” Bill said, although he allowed the cost of parts to put bicycles back in good running order can get expensive. He charges just enough — bikes ready to roll are priced from $20 and up — to recover what he spends, occasionally See ASHER | Page A6
a first for us.” The clinic, after months of discussion, was planning a partnership with its counterpart in Johnson County. Together they would provide health home servic- Krista Postai es in 18 eastern counties with the expectation they would serve thousands of chronically ill poor people with the wraparound services and close case management that are the hallmarks of health homes. But that plan as of Monday began unraveling. Postai and other providers received a short email alerting them officials at the Kansas Department of Health and Environment had decided that the part of the initiative dealing with Medicaid enrollees who are See MEDICAID | Page A5
Arthur becomes year’s first hurricane By EMERY P. DALESIO The Associated Press
RODANTHE, N.C. (AP) — Arthur strengthened to a hurricane early today and threatened to give North
Carolina a glancing blow on Independence Day, prompting the governor to warn vacationers along the coast not to risk their safety by trying to salvage their picnics and barbecues.
Forecasters expect Arthur to whip past the state’s Outer Banks on Friday without making landfall. One local remarked that he was more See ARTHUR | Page A5
New Gates manager sees bright future By RICHARD LUKEN The Iola Register
Specialty Dog Service. In late March, with Redondo’s training complete, the gregarious canine was paired with Alex White, an 11-year-old Topeka boy who had lost another service dog, Hope, in an accident a year prior.
Scott Strycker sees an exciting future for Gates Corporation, and especially for the Iola plant. “It’s a great company, a growing company,” said Strycker, who assumed the role of plant manager in midJune. Strycker replaces Mark Cooper, who left the company to pursue other business interests. “Mark built a nice team, so this has been an easy transition,” said Strycker, who worked the previous 2½ years as the operations manager at Gates-Iola. “We have a great staff with great employees.” Strycker joined the GatesIola team in early 2012, after working four years as plant manager at Standard Motors in Independence. The Indiana native also worked briefly at Amazon.com, with a “couple other stops.”
See REDONDO | Page A6
See STRYCKER | Page A5
Alex White, a wheelchair-bound Topeka boy, hugs Redondo, a service drog trained locally by Iolan Ron Fry as part of the Kansas Specialty Dog Service. PHOTO COURTESY OF RON FRY
Update from an old friend By RICHARD LUKEN The Iola Register
Ron Fry was never so happy to see so many in tears. For the better part of two years, Fry was the primary trainer of Redondo — a golden retriever known to many locally as “Iola” — as part of his work with the Kansas
Quote of the day Vol. 116, No. 174
Scott Strycker
“Philosophy is common sense with big words.” James Madison, fourth U.S. president 75 Cents
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Hi: 80 Lo: 59 Iola, KS