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Kansas GOP governor candidate Derek Schmidt selects U.S. Senate staffer as running mate – Kansas Reflector

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Kansas GOP governor candidate Derek Schmidt selects U.S. Senate staffer as running mate – Kansas Reflector


TOPEKA — Republican gubernatorial candidate Derek Schmidt waited till the submitting deadline Wednesday to announce his choice of a U.S. Senate aide as his working mate within the 2022 marketing campaign.

Schmidt, the state’s legal professional normal, was beneath stress from Kansas GOP hardliners to pick out a distinctly conservative marketing campaign accomplice with a observe document alongside the traces of Sens. Molly Baumgardner, Mike Thompson and Renee Erickson or Reps. Kristey Williams and Ron Ryckman.

Ultimately, Schmidt selected Katie Sawyer, a senior staffer for GOP U.S. Sen. Roger Marshall. Schmidt, in response to a query after submitting, mentioned the 2022 marketing campaign for governor wasn’t concerning the GOP nominee’s linkage to former Gov. Sam Brownback.

“Elections are concerning the future, not concerning the previous,” Schmidt mentioned. “I perceive that we’ve bought some opponents on the opposite facet who wish to relitigate their glory days and discuss issues which can be lengthy since historical past in Kansas. We’re going ahead. I’m assured of 1 factor. We will do higher than Kansas has accomplished the final 4 years.”

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Sawyer, 38, has labored for Marshall for the previous six years and owns a farm along with her husband in McPherson County. She served as director of profession providers at McPherson School from 2014 to 2016 and has a background in advertising and journalism.

Schmidt and Sawyer will face Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly, who’s in search of a second time period within the November normal election.

“I’m honored to reply this name to service and humbled that Derek has positioned his confidence in me to assist him get Kansas on observe after years of continuous disappointment from the Kelly administration,” Sawyer mentioned. “Derek Schmidt and I will likely be a governor and lieutenant governor who combat every single day for households like yours and mine to make Kansas the perfect state in America to dwell, work, increase a household, and develop a enterprise.”

Schmidt mentioned Sawyer “brings a brand new technology of younger and energetic management to assist us transfer Kansas ahead to a shiny and higher tomorrow.”

Sawyer graduated in 2006 from Pittsburg State College, the place she studied communication and worldwide research, and earned a grasp’s diploma in strategic communication from Purdue College in 2017.

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“She has her finger on the heartbeat of Kansas, and he or she is aware of precisely what they’re speaking about at their kitchen tables,” Marshall mentioned.

Kelly, who’s in search of election to a second time period in November, is campaigning with Lt. Gov. David Toland, who additionally serves as secretary of the Kansas Division of Commerce. Kelly’s working mate in 2018 was Lynn Rogers, whom the governor appointed state treasurer in December 2019. Kelly filed for reelection two weeks in the past.

There was a time when Schmidt’s path to the Republican nomination would have required he defeat former Gov. Jeff Colyer or former U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. Colyer withdrew from the race for well being causes and Pompeo handed on a marketing campaign for governor.

Schmidt, 54, served within the Kansas Senate from 2001 to 2011, representing a district that included Independence in southeast Kansas. He was elected legal professional normal in 2010 and reelected twice.

In January, former President Donald Trump endorsed Schmidt’s candidacy for governor, declaring Schmidt can be a “common and really smart selection.” Within the 2020 election, Trump carried Kansas with 56.2% of the vote towards Democrat Joe Bide’s 41.5%.

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The deadline for statewide candidates in Kansas to file for workplace was midday Wednesday, whereas the deadline for candidates for the Legislature, Congress and the Kansas Board of Training was set for June 10 as a result of courtroom evaluation of redistricting maps. The deadline for voter registration for the Aug. 2 major is July 12.



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Kansas influencer SB Mowing raises over $750K for elderly homeowner who faced fine from city for overgrown lawn

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Kansas influencer SB Mowing raises over 0K for elderly homeowner who faced fine from city for overgrown lawn


A Kansas influencer raised over $793,000 to save a disabled elderly woman who faced a hefty fine from her town for failing to trim her overgrown yard.

Spencer, a content creator known for his landscaping business SB Mowing, said he met homeowner Beth last summer when a town official familiar with his social media videos contacted him and asked if he could help fix her lawn.

He was warned that Beth, who uses a cane to move around her property, needed to trim the yard or pay $240 for the town, which was not revealed in the video, to cut it for her.

An influencer raised $793,000 to change the life of a disabled woman. GoFundMe

‘I’ve spent a month trying to get someone to come mow,” Beth said in a video uploaded on Jan. 10. “They won’t answer their phones.”

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Beth revealed that the town officials had implemented a date for when she was required to have the yard cut before she faced the financial loss.

Spencer described the lawn that surrounded Beth’s small white house as unkept and was “getting crazy.”

“I can get that taken care of for ya,” Spencer assured her, offering his landscaping service at no cost.

“I can’t believe it that’s great,” Beth replied.

Spencer transformed her lawn by clearing grass from the driveway cracks, trimming the bushes, removing trees and mowing very tall grass.

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Spencer stepped in after lawn care companies wouldn’t help Beth. GoFundMe
Spencer offered his landscaping service at no cost. GoFundMe

“I cried on and off just listening to your machine,” Beth told Spencer after the big reveal.

Spencer added that he was happy to help Beth as she became emotional over the gesture.

“Your work makes me twinkle so I really appreciate you. I can’t tell you how much. No one’s been happy to help me,” she added.

On top of the lawn issues, Spencer then noticed the home needed improvements to accommodate Beth, who was “in desperate need of help.”

The money raised will help Beth “gain accessibility and comfort” on her property. GoFundMe

Spencer launched a GoFundMe when he noticed how Beth’s old stairs posed an issue for her to walk on and that the driveway cracks could cause her to fall.

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The small business owner raised over a half million dollars within a day to help her “gain accessibility and comfort” on other parts of her property.

Funds raised will help address accessibility issues she faces including building a new ramp outside so it’s easier for her to get to her front door, a smooth driveway and a chair lift that will allow her to get up and down stairs for her laundry.

“We’re gonna be able to do a little bit more than just your driveway and your ramp here,” Spencer revealed. GoFundMe

The money will also pay a lawn care company to maintain her yard for the “next few years” because Spencer lives too far away.

The elderly homeowner was stunned when she received the life-changing donation.

“I can’t even cry,” Beth said. “I can’t even think.”

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“I never expected help ever, ever, ever. I always help people until I got down and out,” Beth added.

“We’re gonna be able to do a little bit more than just your driveway and your ramp here,” Spencer revealed.

Spencer is making sure all the money that was raised doesn’t fall into the wrong hands.

“I am also working with an attorney to set up a trust for her to make sure that all of the funds are protected,” Spencer wrote in an update on the GoFundMe page. “I don’t want anybody trying to take advantage of her and I want to make sure that the funds are used properly.”

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Kansas City-based Jack Cooper Transport to lay off 406 employees after losing Ford contract

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Kansas City-based Jack Cooper Transport to lay off 406 employees after losing Ford contract


KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Jack Cooper Transport Company, LLC, notified state officials last week of its plans to lay off more than 400 people and terminate its Kansas City operations, according to a filing obtained by KSHB 41.

Last week, KSHB 41 News reported on details that the Kansas City-based company had lost a key contract to transport vehicles at several Ford assembly plants across the country, including Ford’s Claycomo Assembly Plant.

In a Jan. 6 letter to the Missouri Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development, a company human resources representative said 129 casual yard workers, 116 drivers and 107 yard employees would lose their jobs by Feb. 2.

The company also said it planned to close its facility at 1240 Claycomo Road, which is adjacent to Ford’s Claycomo plant.

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A Ford spokesperson said the company does not comment “on our contracts or relationships with individual suppliers.”

“We manage supplier relationships in line with our sourcing strategy, designed to enable us to best serve our customers,” the spokesperson said.

Jack Cooper Transport, founded in 1928, originally helped transport vehicles for General Motors at its Leeds Assembly Plant in Kansas City, Missouri.

The transport company’s website states Jack Cooper is one of the largest privately owned auto transport and specialized vehicle logistics providers in the United States.

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Workers are represented by Teamsters Union Local 41.

Teamster’s Union General President Sean O’Brien said last week on social media the union would “defend our members.”





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LifeSave Kansas Earns Prestigious CAMTS Accreditation

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LifeSave Kansas Earns Prestigious CAMTS Accreditation


Recognition underscores commitment to safety and clinical excellence, as demonstrated by recent long-distance transport of a special infant

LifeSave Kansas aircraft

LifeSave Kansas uses both helicopters and fixed wing airplanes to transport patients to the needed level of medical care. These aircraft function as flying ICUs.

Wichita, KS, Jan. 14, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The LifeSave Kansas emergency air medical program is proud to announce its accreditation by the Commission on Accreditation of Medical Transport Systems (CAMTS). This accreditation affirms the program’s unwavering commitment to safety and clinical excellence over its 24 years of life-saving service to the state of Kansas.

“Our LifeSave bases in Emporia, Wichita, Liberal, and Garden City were inspected and found to meet the stringent safety and quality requirements to achieve full CAMTS accreditation,” said Kandi Sagehorn, clinical director with Air Methods, the nation’s leading air medical service provider and parent company of LifeSave Kansas. “This is an exciting accomplishment, and I am proud of the LifeSave team members and leaders who continually work to ensure each base’s compliance with the accreditation standards.”

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CAMTS accreditation indicates the program meets or exceeds rigorous standards for safety, patient care, and clinical quality. It also acknowledges organizations that implement best practices and work to continually improve performance.

“It highlights the dedication, expertise, and hard work of our entire team,” said Shannon Kilmartin, a flight nurse with LifeSave 21 in Emporia. “I’m thankful to everyone who works to maintain the rigorous standards required for this honor.”

One example of this commitment to excellence was seen last August when the fixed wing crew from LifeSave 15 in Wichita transported seven-month-old Hazel Randolph from her home in Bartlesville, OK to Palo Alto, CA for heart surgery.

When the Randolph family learned of Hazel’s severe congenital heart defect shortly after her birth, they were told she was an unlikely candidate for surgery, and she was put on hospice care. Undeterred by this diagnosis, Hazel’s mother, Loren Randolph, searched for options until she learned that doctors at Stanford University Medical Center had pioneered a specialized surgery to treat the condition.

The family flew on a commercial airplane to California for the surgery but had to cancel it when they contracted COVID. The family drove back home to Oklahoma knowing they had to find a safer way to get Hazel back to the surgeons at Stanford. Thankfully, an air medical flight was approved by their insurance provider, so she was safely flown to her surgery under the loving care of the LifeSave Kansas clinical crew.

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