Kansas Klips

Sternberg snapping turtle dies

HAYS—It was with heavy hearts that the announcement was made on September 13th by the Sternberg Museum that their beloved Alligator Snapping Turtle, Levi, passed away. Levi came to the Sternberg in 2010 from an illegal commercial turtle farm in Arkansas. Even though he was huge, they did not know how old he was. Recent blood work during a routine exam showed a decline in Levi’s health. After realizing that continued medical management was no longer possible, the animal care team (Sternberg Husbandry Team and Hays Veterinary Hospital) made the difficult decision to humanely euthanize him. (Hays Post)

Three children, Kansas teen driver hospitalized after car, school bus accident

JEFFERSON COUNTY—Four people were injured in an accident involving a school bus just after 7:00 a.m. on Monday, September 16th, in Jefferson County. The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2010 Volvo S80 driven by Linn Cote, 15, Ozawkie, was eastbound up a hill on Kansas 92 just east of McCarter Drive. The sun was in the driver’s eyes, and he was unable to see a school bus driven by John Norman, 73, Oskaloosa, who had stopped to pick up passengers. The car rear-ended the school bus. EMS transported Cote and three passengers on the bus, identified as three-year-old Landry Milner, five-year-old Serenity Eastridge, and ten-year-old Annsley Eastridge, all of Oskaloosa, to Stormont Vail in Topeka. Norman and sixteen other passengers on the bus were not injured. Cote was properly restrained, according to the KHP. The KHP did not have details on the school or district involved. (Hays Post)

FBI checking on suspicious packages sent to government office in Topeka

TOPEKA—The FBI is investigating suspicious mail delivered to a state office in Topeka. Just after 2:30 p.m. on Monday, September 16th, the Topeka Police Department’s bomb unit responded to a suspicious mail call at Memorial Hall, 120 SW 10th Street in Topeka, according to police spokesperson Rosie Nichols. It was reported that several pieces of mail had an unknown substance on them. The Topeka Fire Department’s Hazmat team responded in addition to an ambulance from American Medical Response and the Office of the State Fire Marshal, the Kansas Bureau of Investigation, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. A field test found no hazardous materials. Further testing will be conducted. (Hays Post)

K-State student in isolation with a reported case of tuberculosis

MANHATTAN—A Kansas State University student in Manhattan informed the university of testing positive for tuberculosis recently, according to a statement from the university. The student was undergoing medical treatment and isolating per Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines. Tuberculosis, or TB, is a disease caused by a bacterial infection. Not everyone infected with the most common TB-causing Bacterium, Mycobacterium Tuberculosis, becomes sick or shows symptoms. Only those with active TB disease can transmit the bacteria, which is spread through the air and generally only transmitted to people through prolonged close contact. Casual contact is usually insufficient to transmit the bacteria, and TB cannot be transmitted by contact with skin, clothes, toilets, or other surfaces that an infectious person may contact. K-Sate is working closely with the Riley County Health Department to help identify any individuals with prolonged contact who should be tested out of precaution. The health department will contact any identified individuals who may need to be tested with instructions on the next steps. University community members were encouraged to visit the Lafene Health Center website to view a list of frequently asked questions about TB, which includes information about symptoms and testing. More information can be found on the Centers for Disease Control’s tuberculosis website. (Hays Post)

Small earthquake shakes south-central Kansas

HARPER COUNTY—A small earthquake shook south-central Kansas just after 11:30 p.m. on Wednesday, September 18th, in Harper County. According to the U. S. Geological Survey, the quake measured a magnitude 3.4 and was centered approximately four miles southwest of Danville. There are no reports of any damage or injury. (Hays Post)