Obituary of Donna Lynn Bruner

Donna Lynn Bruner, age 73, resident of Ft. Scott, KS, died Wednesday, December 19, 2018, at the Mercy Hospital emergency room.

She was born on September 22, 1945, in Nevada, MO, the daughter of Ava “Brownie” Brown and Ethel Goins Brown.

She attended Ft. Scott schools until December of her senior year when her family moved to Spring Hill, KS. She always considered herself a member of the FSHS Class of 1963.

She married Evert Eugene “Gene” Bruner on December 20, 1963, in Ft. Scott. He preceded her in death on June 19, 2015.

Donna worked for Western Insurance Company in Ft. Scott for ten years, beginning in 1963. After her boys started kindergarten, she began working for Fort Scott Middle School from 1978 until her retirement in 2015.

Donna enjoyed cross stitch, reading, tending her flowers and watching birds at her numerous birdfeeders. She enjoyed working with the Fort Scott kids at school. Her great love was spending time with her family and watching all the grandkids’ activities.

Survivors include her daughter, Genea Bruner, Ft. Scott; two sons, David Bruner and wife Michelle, Ft. Scott, and Darren Bruner and wife Tracie, Lee’s Summit, MO; a brother, Terry Brown and wife Kristy, Spring Hill, KS; a sister-in-law, Katherine Ann Pritchett, Pratt, KS; grandchildren Kylie and Dylan, Ft. Scott, and Ben, Lee’s Summit; and several nieces and nephews.

Besides her husband Gene, she was preceded in death by her parents; and in-laws, Homer and Dortha Bruner.

Rev. Dusty Drake will conduct funeral services at 12:00 P.M. Wednesday, December 26th, at the Community Christian Church.

Burial will follow in the U. S. National Cemetery.

The family will receive friends from 11:00 until 12:00 Wednesday, prior to the service, at the church.

Memorials are suggested to the American Heart Association and may be left in care of the Cheney Witt Chapel, P.O. Box 347, 201 S. Main, Ft. Scott, KS 66701. Words of remembrance may be submitted to the online guestbook at cheneywitt.com.

KDOT requesting comments on Transportation Improvement Program Amendment

 

The Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) requests comments on an amendment to the FFY 2019-2022 Statewide Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) document.

The STIP is a project specific publication that lists all KDOT administered projects, regardless of funding source, and includes projects for counties and cities as well as projects on the State Highway System. The list of projects being amended to the STIP can be viewed at http://www.ksdot.org/bureaus/burProgProjMgmt/stip/stip.asp

The approval of the STIP amendment requires a public comment period, which concludes Jan. 2, 2019. To make comments on the amendment, contact KDOT’s Bureau of Program and Project Management at (785) 296-2252.

This information is available in alternative accessible formats. To obtain an alternative format, contact the KDOT Office of Public Affairs, (785) 296-3585 (Voice/Hearing Impaired-711).

Fort Scott Presbyterian Village honored for achievements

The Fort Scott Presbyterian Village team, with Ginger Nance, center, are surrounded by members of the Presbyterian Manors of Mid-America board of trustees, senior leadership and regional support team following the presentation of the PMMA Emerald Award. This is Fort Scott’s first Emerald Award.

WICHITA, Kan. — Fort Scott Presbyterian Village was recognized with an Emerald Award from Presbyterian Manors of Mid-America for reaching goals in fiscal year 2018, July 1, 2017, through June 30, 2018.

The recognition came through PMMA’s Emerald Awards Program, designed to encourage its 17 locations and two hospices to achieve high levels of resident and employee satisfaction, meet financial goals, build philanthropic support for the organization’s mission and meet marketing goals. There are 11 areas measured for the Emerald Awards.

To receive an emerald, a community has to meet its goals in all 11 areas. Team members from the community attended PMMA’s annual Emerald Award Banquet Dec. 6 at the Broadview Hotel in Wichita to accept the award.

We are pleased to present Fort Scott Presbyterian Village with its first Emerald Award. This recognition is a visible sign of the Fort Scott team’s commitment to the mission of PMMA of providing quality senior services guided by Christian values,” said Bruce Shogren, chief executive officer for PMMA.

Presbyterian Manors of Mid-America has been providing quality senior services guided by Christian values in Kansas and Missouri for nearly 70 years.

For more information about Fort Scott Presbyterian Village, contact Marketing Director Becky Kellum at 620-223-5550 or [email protected].

Fort Scott Presbyterian Village has been offering independent and assisted living apartments for seniors from southeast Kansas and southwest Missouri since 1994. Learn more at FortScottPresbyterianVillage.org. It is a member of the nonprofit Presbyterian Manors of Mid-America network of 17 communities and 2 hospices in Kansas and Missouri. Learn more about PMMA at PresbyterianManors.org.

CHC/SEK Finalizes Plans for Transition of Mercy Clinics

CHC/SEK Welcomes Fort Scott Medical Providers Dr. Katrina Burke, Dr. Larry Seals, Amanda Stice APRN, Dr. Maxwell Self, Kristine O’Dell APRN, Pamela Moyers APRN and Dr. Pankaj Gugnani. (Not pictured are Hannah Born APRN and Amber Hunziker APRN)

(Pittsburg, KS) – The Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas (CHC/SEK) is preparing for a very busy new year as it will assume operations of five clinics in Bourbon, Linn and Crawford counties beginning January 1.

Following the news that Mercy Health System would be closing the hospital in Fort Scott, it was announced that CHC/SEK would take over operations of Mercy’s primary care clinics in Fort Scott, Pleasanton and Arma.

“Mercy recognized the impact that closing the hospital would have and approached us about preserving access to care in Bourbon and Linn counties,” said CHC/SEK CEO Krista Postai adding that CHC/SEK also recognized the need. “We immediately began working with them on a transition plan.”

CHC/SEK will officially assume operations of the Mercy clinics at 601 East Washington in Arma and 11155 Tucker Road in Pleasanton on January 1. CHC/SEK will also transition the Mound City Family Care clinic — which is owned by the Mound City Medical Foundation and currently under the management of the Olathe Health System — on January 1.

Postai said transition of the Fort Scott clinics will begin on February 1 with Convenient Care at 1624 South National changing its name to CHC/SEK Walk-In Care.

“The hours and services will stay the same,” said Postai. “For most people, the only change they will notice will be the name on the building.”

The main clinic located inside the hospital at 401 Woodland Hills Blvd. will be managed by Mercy until January 31. It will then be closed until February 4 when it reopens as part of CHC/SEK. Postai said the clinic will have the same hours and offer the same services.

“We will continue to provide primary medical care along with obstetrics, lab, x-ray and immunizations,” she said. “We also plan to continue to offer mammograms and provide space for specialists including the Cancer Center of Kansas.”

Postai added that CHC/SEK will also operate the retail pharmacy next to the main clinic. “The only difference patients should notice is lower costs for their prescriptions,” she said. “It will have the same hours and you will see the same faces as before.”

Postai said the question she hears most often has to do with staff, particularly which medical providers will be staying with the organization.

“We are pleased to welcome Dr. Katrina Burke, Dr. Larry Seals, Dr. Maxwell Self and Dr. Pankaj Gugnani from Fort Scott as well as Dr. Jay Allen from Mound City to our medical staff,” said Postai. “Dr. Seals and Dr. Burke will also provide delivery services at Via Christi Hospital in Pittsburg.”

CHC/SEK Welcomes Rhonda Kellstadt APRN, Brad Young APRN and Kristyn Milburn APRN in Pleasanton
CHC/SEK Welcomes Kim Burns APRN in Arma

Postai added that several nurse practitioners will also make the transition including Amanda Stice, Pamela Moyers, Kristine O’Dell, Hannah Born, Amber Hunziker, Brad Young, Kristyn Milburn, Rhonda Kellstadt, Kim Burns and Kelsey Welch.

CHC/SEK Welcomes Dr. Jay Allen and Kelsey Welch APRN in Mound City

“We have also hired local Practice Managers who will be on-site to oversee the daily operations,” said Postai. “Amy Budy will oversee the Bourbon County clinics and Tesia Coffey will be in charge of the clinics in Linn County.”

Postai went on to say the addition of five clinics along with a combined total of more than 15,000 patients and approximately 75 staff members represents an estimated 35 percent growth for CHC/SEK.

“This is not only the largest undertaking in our 15-year history,” she said. “It is quite possibly the most significant.”

In the meantime, Postai said one of the biggest tasks CHC/SEK is working on right now is transferring all of the electronic medical records which can be very time consuming. “Every patient needs to sign a release form in order for us to do that.”

Postai encouraged all current patients of the Mercy clinics or Mound City Family Care to complete the forms which are available on CHC/SEK’s website at www.chcsek.org/medicalrecords.

About Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas. Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas (CHC/SEK) is a non-profit Federally Qualified Health Center dedicated to providing affordable, high quality medical, dental, behavioral health, pharmacy and out

 

Mercy Health Foundation Donates $300,000 To Community Health Center

Pictured (front, L-R): Colleen Quick, Mercy Health Foundation board member; Krista Postai, CEO of CHC/SEK; and Daniel Creitz, CHC/SEK general counsel; (back, L-R) Bryan Holt, Mercy Health Foundation treasurer; Chris Petty, Mercy Health Foundation vice chair; and Jason Wesco, CHC/SEK executive vice president.

Access to numerous health care services will remain intact following the closure of Mercy Hospital due in part to a substantial donation from Mercy Health Foundation Fort Scott. The foundation board agreed to donate $300,000 to Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas to ensure the continuation of essential health care services in Fort Scott and Bourbon County.

Mercy Health Foundation board members presented the check for $300,000 to CHC/SEK leadership on Tuesday, December 18.

Many services currently offered by Mercy will transition to CHC/SEK in Fort Scott effective February 1. The services include:

  • A primary care clinic consisting of Dr. Katrina Burke, Dr. P.K. Gugnani, Dr. Maxwell Self, and numerous nurse practitioners.
  • Convenient Care located at 1624 S. National will also transition to CHC/SEK effective February 1. Hours of the convenient care clinic will remain the same.
  • Pre-natal care will continue to be offered with Dr. Larry Seals and Dr. Katrina Burke.
  • Lab, x-ray, and mammograms.
  • Future expansion of services by CHC/SEK which will likely include dental care, behavioral health and transportation services.

Funds donated by Mercy Health Foundation will assist CHC/SEK with start-up costs associated to support a new electronic health record and documentation system, computers, phones, printers and other business-related devices necessary to manage a clinic.

 

Mercy Health Foundation—Fort Scott, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, raises money and community awareness for Mercy Hospital. It is dependent on the support of individuals, corporations and foundations to help Mercy meet community health care needs. Mercy Health Foundation invests its philanthropic support in facilities and the advancement of technologies and programs to enhance Mercy’s ability to provide excellence in health care. For more information, visit mercy.net/giving.

 

 

 

Obituary of Daryl Keith Swanwick

Daryl Keith Swanwick was born in Columbus, Kansas on August 23, 1946, to Francis Darrell “Sonny” Swanwick and Alma Arlene McCorkle Swanwick of rural Oswego, Kansas. He attended Sunny View Elementary School, which was a one-room schoolhouse in his 1st-grade year, then replaced by a modern two-room school from his second through eighth grades. There were five students in his eighth-grade graduation class, four boys and one girl. Daryl sang The Marines Hymn at his graduation.

He graduated from Labette County Community High School in 1964, attended Kansas State University one year, then graduated from Kansas State College of Pittsburg (now Pittsburg State University) in May 1969 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology.

Daryl and Nancy Kathleen Austin had been married on January 25, 1969, at the First United Methodist Church in Parsons, Kansas.

He was drafted and inducted into the Army in July 1969. He was chosen to be an Image Interpreter with a Top-Secret Security clearance, doing his AIT at Fort Holabird in Baltimore, Maryland. Orders for Viet Nam were changed as his brother was already serving there, so he spent a year in Khorat, Thailand. When he returned home, he enrolled in chemistry courses at Pitt State while Nancy finished her degree, then did a year’s training at Cox Medical Center in Springfield, Missouri to become a Registered Medical Technologist. Daryl and Nancy moved to Fort Scott, Kansas in December 1973 where he worked in the laboratory at Newman-Young Clinic for eight years, then the rest of his career at Mercy Hospital in Fort Scott, retiring on Dec. 18, 2008.

At his retirement, Daryl took up distance running. He trained for, entered, and placed in his age division in many half marathons beginning in 2009, and he has the medals and trophies to prove it. He also traveled all over the United States, Canada, Italy, France, England and Ireland with his wife and attended more quilting events than he ever planned to, always a good sport and supportive husband.

As a young father, Daryl was a “room dad” at Winfield Scott school, a soccer coach, T ball and Little League coach, 2nd and 3rd grade Sunday School teacher, a member of the Marching Dragoons and volunteer through the Fort Scott National Park Site, co-chair of the Fort Scott High School Booster Club, and became a very knowledgeable father/coach of two placekickers for the FSHS football team.

Baptized in the sanctuary of the First United Methodist Church by Rev. Jerry Tubach in 1988 with his wife and sons as witnesses, he has been a very devoted and faithful member of the church. He has served on boards and since retirement has been the paint specialist on the Wednesday Morning Men work crew.

A retroperitoneal sarcoma, diagnosed October 1, 2018, took Daryl’s life. He was stoic and strong through the ordeal and those of us who mourn him take comfort that his faith was strong, and his pain was relatively short.

He was a kind and gentle man who will be forever loved and missed.

He is survived by his wife, Nancy Austin Swanwick of Fort Scott; his sons and families, Matthew Austin Swanwick, wife Carissa, children Tatum and Elliott of Lenexa, KS; and Daniel Levi Swanwick, wife Catherine, and children Benjamin and Anna of Warrenton, Virginia; his father, F.D. Swanwick of Oswego; his brothers, Roger Swanwick of Wann, Oklahoma and Duane Swanwick and wife Traci of Alma, Kansas, his in-laws Virginia Austin Constance of Lawrence, Dennis Constance of Lawrence, T. J. and Sharon Austin of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and several nieces, nephews, aunts and cousins.

He was preceded in death by his mother, Alma Swanwick of Oswego, his parents-in-law, Kirk and Barbara Austin of Parsons, his sister-in-law, Carolyn Austin Brigman and her daughter, Laura Ann Brigman, of Mukilteo, Washington.

Daryl’s service will be 11:00 a.m. Thursday, December 27, 2018, at the First United Methodist Church under the direction of the Konantz-Cheney Funeral Home.

Visitation will be at 10:00 a.m. until service the at 11 a.m.

Burial will take place in the Oswego Cemetery, in the family plot purchased by Daryl’s great-great-grandfather, Lt. Col. Francis Swanwick, who served in the Black Hawk War and led the 22nd Illinois Infantry in the Civil War before moving to Kansas.

Memorial contributions may be made to the First United Methodist Church of Fort Scott or to Mercy Hospice, soon to be Integrity Hospice. They were truly a Godsend to Daryl and his family. Contributions may be left in the care of the Konantz-Cheney Funeral Home, 15 W. Wall Street, PO Box 309, Fort Scott, KS 66701. Condolences may be submitted to the online guestbook at konantz-cheney.com.

Free Use of Momentum Indoor Training Dec. 28

Emelia Whiteaker, owner and trainer of Momentum Indoor Training. Submitted photo.

Momentum Indoor Training, 2420 S. Main, Suite 900,  is offering a free day to use the new facility during Christmas break.

The athletic performance trainer and owner of the business, Emelia Whiteaker, recently opened the training facility, which is located behind Tractor Supply Company.

“I am doing the free day as something for parents to do to get their kids active during the winter break,” said  Whitaker. “Anyone can come try the pitching machines or throwing lanes for the day.

The event will be from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday, December 28.

“The batting tunnels will be open for use at no charge. All participants must have a signed waiver by a parent/legal guardian,” Whiteaker said. “Anyone 13 years of age or younger must be accompanied by an adult. Call or e-mail to reserve your time or send us a Facebook message: @mitrainingfs.”

Whiteaker can be reached at 620-223-1803 or [email protected]

 

Hilderbrand Files To Prevent Transfers From Highway Fund

KANSAS SENATOR RICHARD HILDERBRAND FILES SCR 1601

TO PREVENT THE TRANSFERS FROM THE STATE HIGHWAY FUND

GALENA- Senator Richard Hilderbrand (R-Galena) pre-files SCR 1601to prevent transfers and limit expenditures from the state highway fund to only those items related to transportation set forth in the amendment.

The state of Kansas has swept $3.35 billion from the state highway fund over the last several years. This last fiscal year the state swept over $290 million. This has left a devastating effect on not only the safety but the long-term economic impact of our great state.

The state of Kansas currently has 25 T-Works projects delayed because of a lack of funding. The total cost to fund those 25 projects would be $553 million. In just two years after this bill becomes law, all 25 of those T-Works projects could be funded.

We must stop robbing from Peter to pay Paul, and bring fiscal accountability back to Kansas!

I will continue to work hard in Topeka to continue infrastructure investments in Southeast Kansas, to encourage growth and allow us to remain competitive throughout the state and entire nation.”

Bourbon County Commission Agenda Dec. 20

Agenda

Bourbon County Commission Room

1st Floor, County Courthouse

210 S. National Avenue

Fort Scott, KS 66701

Tuesdays starting at 9:00

Date: December 20th, 2018

1st District-Lynne Oharah Minutes: Approved: _______________

2nd District-Jeff Fischer Corrected: _______________

3rd District-Nick Ruhl Adjourned at: _______________

County Clerk-Kendell Mason

9:00-Commissioners to have a meeting regarding Economic Development

Justifications for Executive Session:

          Personnel matters of individual non-elected personnel

          Consultation with an attorney for the body or agency which would be deemed privileged in the attorney-client relationship

          Matters relating to employer-employee negotiations whether or not in consultation with the representative(s) of the body or agency

          Confidential data relating to financial affairs or trade secrets of corporations, partnerships, trusts and individual proprietorships

          Preliminary discussions relating to the acquisition of real property

          Matters relating to the security of a public body or agency, public building or facility or the information system of a public body or agency, if the discussion of such matters at an open meeting would jeopardize the security of such public body, agency, building, facility or information system