Latest news with #KyleHoffman
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
New mobile command center set to transform 911 in Kansas
SALINA, Kan. (KSNW) — The Kansas 911 Coordinating Council rolled out an emergency mobile dispatch center, calling it a game-changer for emergency response in the Sunflower State. The state-of-the-art mobile unit is designed to support 911 dispatchers, a concept that began in 2021 to address the shortage of 911 training across the state. Council officials say the unit will provide operational assistance wherever needed. Backyard 'rattlesnake' turns out to be drama-loving bull snake 'I represent the Kiowa County where the Greensburg Tornado occurred, and that was one of the things that they needed to have,' said Rep. Kyle Hoffman, House Assistant Majority Leader (R). A mobile dispatch center can replace a 911 center when a natural disaster strikes '…and either provide them additional seats to take overflow or surge calls or to replace their 911 center,' said Scott Eckberg, who is a technical support specialist for the Kansas 911 coordinating council. It can be driven to any emergency site across Kansas. 'This emergency mobile dispatch and training center has the ability to connect to any of those public safety answering points or 911 centers anywhere in the state,' said Eckberg. Providing 911 centers with additional seats to take overflow calls. 'Take care of our own,' said Haskell County Sheriff Troy Briggs. 'We take them to a system that's customized for the state of Kansas, it was built for us, we're the first one out. This type of system that we are now. We can do that training that is consistent with how our system is set up in Kansas.' The primary function is to provide hands-on training for rural centers. 'So if we can take the training to them, and make it a half-day event rather than a day to travel back, then to travel back than a half day to train it will make it much easier to provide good training,' said Eckberg. The mobile command center will be housed in Great Bend for now. Helping those who answer the call, every day. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
This Kansas Republican once was governor. He wants the job again
Former Kansas Gov. Jeff Colyer is poised to run again for governor, naming a treasurer on Monday and signaling a coming campaign. Colyer, a Johnson County-based surgeon, has remained involved in Kansas politics since spending nearly a year as governor in 2018 after Gov. Sam Brownback resigned. Most recently, he chaired President Donald Trump's campaign operation in Kansas. But in deciding to run, Colyer is once again seeking election as governor – an accomplishment that has eluded him. Colyer narrowly lost the 2018 Republican primary for governor to Kris Kobach. He ran again ahead of the 2022 governor's race but dropped out, citing a prostate cancer diagnosis. On Monday, Colyer announced he was naming Rep. Kyle Hoffman, a Coldwater Republican, as his campaign treasurer. In a statement, Colyer said Hoffman will be a 'huge asset as we carry our winning message to every county in Kansas.' Colyer's announcement didn't formally unveil his campaign, but made clear he is running. 'Jeff is more than a politician, he is a humanitarian – selflessly serving those in need around the world. He'll make a great Governor,' Hoffman said in a statement. Colyer marks the latest entrant into what is expected to be a crowded Republican field. Secretary of State Scott Schwab, former Johnson County Commissioner Charlotte O'Hara and right-wing podcaster Doug Billings are already running. Senate President Ty Masterson and Insurance Commissioner Vicki Schmidt are also widely expected to run. It was Trump's endorsement of Kobach on the eve of the 2018 Republican primary that likely proved decisive in a razor-thin contest before Kobach went on to lose to Democrat Laura Kelly in the general election. After sharing news of his cancer diagnosis, Colyer bowed out of the 2022 race and endorsed Derek Schmidt, who also lost to Kelly. If he wins the race, Colyer will become the first Johnson County governor elected in more than 50 years. Originally from Hays, Colyer now lives and works in Overland Park, where he has a plastic surgery practice. He earned his M.D. from the University of Kansas School of Medicine after previously receiving a bachelor's degree in economics from Georgetown University and a master's degree in international relations from the University of Cambridge. In 2024, Colyer spent a month in Ukraine, working with the International Medical Corps to help advise doctors. Colyer has traveled to other conflict zones with the non-profit aid group in the past, including Soviet-controlled Afghanistan, Iraq, and Sudan. As governor in 2018, Colyer signed into law a school funding increase that brought the state substantially closer to complying with state Supreme Court opinions to enhance funding. The Legislature passed a further enhancement in 2019 under Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly that brought the state into compliance. Colyer, who had been lieutenant governor under Brownback, also sought to shift the tone in the governor's office after Brownback's standing among lawmakers and the public suffered during a budget crisis stemming from his signature income tax cuts. He lost an intense primary contest against Kobach that remained unresolved for several days after the August 2018 election. Ultimately, Kobach prevailed by 343 votes – the tightest primary fight for governor in state history.
