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Great Bend native on award-winning AccuWeather team
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COURTESY PHOTO Ali (Karlin) Davis is a 2007 graduate of GBHS and graduated in 2011 from Valparaiso University with a bachelors degree in Meteorological Science.
Updated: Jan 13, 2018, 8:00 PM
Published: Jan 12, 2018, 4:39 PM

AccuWeather, a leading source of weather forecasts and warnings as well as digital media and weather-related big data, announced that several staff meteorologists would receive the Award for an Exceptional Specific Prediction from the American Meteorological Society (AMS) at the group’s 98th annual meeting, Jan. 7 - 11, in Austin, Texas. The presentation marked the first time the Award for an Exceptional Specific Prediction has been given to a commercial weather service.
Ali (Karlin) Davis, a 2007 graduate of Great Bend High School, was part of the four-person AccuWeather Enterprise Solutions (AES) team recognized for a prediction of flash flooding in a challenging, data-sparse environment, which prevented potential train derailments and loss of life and property. Davis graduated in 2011 from Valparaiso (Indiana) University with a bachelor’s degree in meteorological science.
“This special recognition is perhaps one of the greatest validations of the value we bring to our clients in minimizing risk and liability and keeping people safe and out of harm’s way with the most accurate forecasts and warnings,” said Jonathan Porter, vice president of Business Services and general manager of Enterprise Solutions. “This team’s achievement in winning the award for an Exceptional Specific Prediction, which until now had only been bestowed on government agencies, underscores our ability to help our customers in a wide range of industries make the best decisions in a weather emergency and anytime weather is a factor.”
The AES SkyGuard Warning Service provides precise, proactive site-specific warnings of snow, flooding, hail, high winds, hurricanes, tornadoes and much more. On July 19, 2013, the AES forecasting team delivered a remarkable warning to Ferromex, Mexico’s largest railroad. AES monitors all 5,000 miles of track used by Ferromex and provides notification when weather could create hazards.
Most of Mexico is not covered by weather radar, limiting the amount of information available for predictions. However, AES developed an innovative technique using data including lightning and weather satellites to create accurate flash flood warnings. “That evening, we were able to warn Ferromex that flash flooding would occur across 40 miles of track in the Copper River Canyon in northern Mexico,” recalled Becky DePodwin, a member of the forecasting team.
In response to the warning, Ferromex stopped rail traffic across those areas until the next morning. When they inspected the tracks, they found several places where the tracks had washed out.
Without this warning, conditions were rife for catastrophe. AccuWeather Enterprise Solutions “gave us the tools we needed to prevent a major mishap,” said Ferromex General Manager Al Cisneros in supporting the team’s nomination for the award.
The AMS award illustrates how AccuWeather, which has built a reputation worldwide for forecasts and warnings with Superior Accuracy™, helps thousands of businesses in a wide range of industries and government agencies minimize the impacts of severe weather, thereby protecting people and property.
“If a train had gone through, it would have derailed, endangering people and costing potentially many millions of dollars,” DePodwin said. “It is gratifying to have been a member of the team that is completely committed to Superior Accuracy and enabled Ferromex to avoid that risk.”
Pawnee Valley Community Hospital now offers proven PAD treatment
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Sayra Santacruz, respiratory therapist, and Dusty Thacker, director of Cardiopulmonary Services at Pawnee Valley Community Hospital, demonstrate supervised exercise therapy for patients with peripheral artery disease.
Published: Apr 3, 2025, 1:50 PM

Anyone who has a diagnosis of peripheral artery disease (PAD) now has access to a “proven, effective treatment” at Pawnee Valley Community Hospital (PVCH), said Dusty Thacker, director of Cardiopulmonary Services.

The treatment is called supervised exercise therapy (SET) and is specifically tailored to PAD, a condition in which blood vessels to the legs and feet become narrowed or blocked. This is due to a build-up of fatty deposits inside the arteries that limits blood flow.

“SET is a structured workout program designed to help people improve their physical health under the guidance of a trained professional,” Thacker said. “Sessions are tailored to the person’s needs and focus on improving strength, endurance and mobility.

“The treatment also helps improve circulation, which can reduce or eliminate pain while walking.”

Exercise sessions typically involve a combination of aerobics, strength training and stretching. This includes walking on a treadmill at a moderate pace, with an incline, until the patient begins to feel mild to moderate leg pain.

The patient then rests until the pain subsides before resuming the exercise during up to 36 sessions with a registered respiratory therapist.

“SET is a key treatment approach that focuses on improving blood flow, reducing leg pain and enhancing overall mobility,” Thacker summarized.

Smoking and diabetes are the strongest risk factors for PAD, Thacker noted. Other factors include being over 75; high blood pressure and/or cholesterol; not enough physical activity; stress; diets high in saturated fats; obesity; chronic kidney disease; and family history.

“A few classic symptoms of PAD are pain, burning or cramping in your legs and feet during an activity that improve with rest,” Thacker said.

Others are leg and foot pain at night or while lying down, as well as coldness or numbness in the legs or feet. Additional possibilities are leg weakness or heaviness, slow-healing sores on feet or legs, discolored skin and leg-hair loss.

The therapist offers education about smoking cessation, a heart-healthy diet, weight management, blood pressure control and increasing physical activity.

“We are pleased that we now offer this important exercise therapy,” Thacker commented. “Many of our patients have benefited from our Cardiac Rehab and Pulmonary Rehab services by gaining control of their symptoms, improving their quality of life and reducing the risk of future hospitalizations.

“SET is a similar service. Patients with PAD now have a treatment that can help them manage symptoms and improve overall vascular health.

“We are excited to expand our cardiopulmonary services and incredibly fortunate to partner with HaysMed and the DeBakey Heart Institute. This collaboration connects our Larned community with any necessary advanced services and direct access to cardiologists. It allows us to offer specialized care close to home, significantly enhancing the quality of care and positively impacting our patients’ health and well-being.”


Pawnee Valley Community Hospital, 923 Carroll in Larned, is a 25-bed facility, offering many services not typically available in a smaller facility. Included are 24/7 emergency care; acute, skilled and specialized nursing; surgery; high-tech imaging and laboratory tests; wound care; rehabilitation; and sleep and diagnostic center. PVCH Family Medicine provides the full range of family-medicine services; physician-assisted weight loss; and women’s health services. The hospital’s number is 620-285-3161; the clinic’s number is 620-804-6007.