Monthly Archives: July 2019

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Governor appoints two members to the Board of Pharmacy 

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Governor Laura Kelly appointed Dr. Terica Gatewood and Dr. Tiffany Strohmeyer to the Kansas Board of Pharmacy.

 

“We have an obligation to protect Kansans from situations of inadequate and unsafe pharmaceutical practices,” Kelly said. “Dr. Gatewood and Dr. Strohmeyer are strongly positioned to take on the issues and challenges in the area, for the good of all Kansans.”

 

The board licenses and registers entities conducting business relating to the practice of pharmacy. They protect the public health and welfare against improper, unauthorized practices of pharmacy.

 

  1. Dr. Terica Gatewood, Topeka, currently serves as Pharmacy Talent Sourcer and University Relations for Genoa Healthcare. Gatewood received her doctor of pharmacy from the University of Kansas. She succeeds Dr. Chad Ullom.

 

  1. Dr. Tiffany Strohmeyer, Topeka, currently co-owns and operates as a staff pharmacist and pharmacy consultant at Barry’s Drug Center and Dunne’s Pharmacy in Manhattan, Kan. Strohmeyer received her doctorate of pharmacy from the University of Kansas. She succeeds Dr. Robert Haneke.

 

The Board of Pharmacy consists of seven members, six of whom are licensed pharmacists, and one that represents the general public.

 

The office of the state board of pharmacy is located in Topeka.

 

Government, Kansas

Governor appoints 13 members to Alzheimer’s Disease Task Force 

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In response to Executive Order #19-08, Governor Laura Kelly appointed 13 members to the Alzheimer’s Disease Task Force.

 

 

This task force assesses the current and future impact of Alzheimer’s disease on Kansas residents; examines the existing industries, services, and resources addressing the needs of people with Alzheimer’s, their families, and caregivers; and develops a strategy to mobilize a state response to the public health crisis.

 

“Alzheimer’s disease touches so many lives, and we must do what we can to help patients and their families cope with this tragic ailment,” Kelly said. “I appreciate the interest from all willing to serve on this important task force.”

 

The appointed task force members:

 

  1. Jamie Gideon, Haysville – Chair
  2. Cindy Schmidt, Hays
  3. Gina Long, Gardner
  4. Rita Ortolani, Independence
  5. Robert Miller, Wichita
  6. Sarah Duggan, Manhattan
  7. Steve Harader, Wichita
  8. Dr. Joseph G. Schlageck, Overland Park
  9. Janie Krull, Wichita
  10. Dr. Stephen Benson, Wichita
  11. Randy Clinkscales, Hays
  12. Carol Jolly, Topeka
  13. Rob Razo, Topeka

 

The task force meets monthly or as needed at the discretion of the Chair.

 

The task force will receive data, research, administrative support and guidance from the following agencies: Kansas Department of Labor, Kansas Department of Commerce, Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services, and the Kansas Department of Health and Environment. The Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services shall be primarily responsible for and take the lead in providing support.

 

The Task Force is directed to submit a report of its findings and recommendations to the Legislature and Governor in the form of a Kansas Alzheimer’s Disease Plan by January 13, 2020, or as appropriate during the intervening period.

 

Business, Government, Kansas

Governor appoints Bank Commissioner David Herndon

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Governor Laura Kelly appointed David Herndon as Bank Commissioner for the state of Kansas.

 

The commissioner oversees the Office of the State Bank Commissioner, an office that regulates all state-chartered banks, trust companies, mortgage businesses, supervised lenders, credit service organizations, and money transmitters that do business within the state of Kansas.

 

“I’m pleased to appoint David to serve as Bank Commissioner,” Kelly said. “His extensive banking and leadership experience makes him an unparalleled choice for this position.”

 

Herndon, a Shawnee resident, has over 30 years of experience in all phases of management. Currently, Herndon is sole proprietor of CMC Professional Services. Previously, he served as senior vice president at VisionBank. Herndon graduated with a master’s degree in banking from the University of Wisconsin, and a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Baker University.

 

Per K.S.A. 75-1304, the appointed bank commissioner must have at least five years of experience as an executive officer in a state or national bank located in Kansas. While serving as bank commissioner, the commissioner must not be an officer, voting director, employee or paid consultant of any state or national bank or bank holding company, or any affiliate of a state or national bank or bank holding company, or any other entity regulated by the commissioner.

 

Herndon will serve as Acting Bank Commissioner pending Senate confirmation.

Fort Scott, Schools

Preschool/Day Care Opportunity Through USD234/New Generation

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4-Year Old Preschool

USD 234 in partnership with New Generation is offering a preschool/daycare opportunity for qualifying 4-year old students.

Students will attend preschool geared toward kindergarten readiness for half-day sessions and have the opportunity to also get half-day daycare provided.

For qualifying students, meals and transportation to and from New Generation will be available upon request.

This program is being offered through a grant and will come at no cost to the families who participate.

All students must be 4 years old on or before August 31.

If you can answer yes to any of the following questions, then your child may be eligible:

1. Does your child qualify for our free and reduced lunch program?
2. Are you a single parent?
3. Have you been referred through DCF?
4. When your child was born, was either parent a teen?
5. Is either parent lacking a high school diploma or GED?
6. In the home, is the main language used not English?
7. Does the family qualify as migrant status?
8. Does the child have lower than expected developmental progress, but is not currently receiving special education services?

Applications are available for pickup at New Generation or the USD 234 Board of Education office. If you have further questions, please contact Andrea Scott at [email protected] or call 620-223-8965 and leave a message.

Fort Scott, Government, Schools

USD234 Minutes of July 8, 2019

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Members of the USD 234 Board of Education met on Monday, July 8, 2019, at the Fort Scott Middle School Community Room for their regular monthly meeting.

            President Jamie Armstrong opened the meeting.  The board approved the official agenda.

The old board adjourned Sine Die with reorganization of the new board.  David Stewart was elected president, and James Wood was elected vice president.  The board also approved the consent agenda as follows:

A.    Minutes

B.    Bills and Claims

C.    Payroll – June 20, 2019 – $1,653,129.83

D.    Financial Report

E.     Bond Proceeds Reconciliation

F.     Activity fund accounts

G.    Designation of banks for deposit of school funds

H.    Designation of newspaper for official school publications – The Fort Scott Tribune

I.      Officers for the 2019-20 school year

J.      Recreation Commission board member terms

K.    Resolution for waiver of generally accepted accounting principles

L.     Resolution for rescinding policy statements found in board minutes

M.   Resolution to set dates and times for board meetings

N.    Resolution to establish home rule by Board of Education

O.    Resolution for destruction of records

P.     Resolution for participation in the Neighborhood Revitalization Program Interlocal Agreement

Q.    State mileage reimbursement rate – 58 cents per mile

R.    Set fees for copying of records

S.     Extended trip request for the International Thespian Festival on June 24-30 in Lincoln, NE

One patron spoke in the public forum section.

Stephanie George, KNEA President, presented a report.

Superintendent Ted Hessong provided information on the following items:

·       Climate Survey

·       ELA Curriculum

·       SPED handbook

·       New teacher orientation

·       Nurse contracted position

·       CrisisGo App testing

·       Legislative update

·       ACT testing for 9th graders

Gina Shelton, Business Manager, reported on a grant that will be used to replace milk coolers, gave a bond update, discussed budget work, and extended thanks to Reta Baker with Mercy Hospital for their large donation of office furniture to the district.

Board members selected James Wood as a hearing officer for suspensions and expulsions.  The board approved board policy changes and 2019-20 handbooks.

The board set a budget workshop for July 30, 2019, at 12:00 p.m.  Board members shared comments and then went into executive session to discuss personnel matters for nonelected personnel and to discuss matters relating to employer-employee negotiations.

            Board members returned to open meeting and approved the following employment matters:

A.    Resignation of Melina Lawson, effective at the end of the 2018-19 school year

B.    Resignation of Christy Thomas, central office payroll clerk, effective July 26, 2019

C.    Resignation of Jodi Underwood, preschool center paraprofessional, effective at the end of the 2018-19 school year

D.    Resignation of Melinda Collins, Eugene Ware cook, effective June 25, 2019

E.     Employment of Robyn Kelso as high school assistant principal for the 2019-20 school year

F.     Employment of Emily Elliott as a Fort Scott High School/Middle School vocal teacher for the 2019-20 school year

G.    Employment of Rachelle Thomas as a Eugene Ware fourth grade teacher for the 2019-20 school year

H.    Employment of Krista Gorman as a secondary instructional coach at Fort Scott High School and Fort Scott Middle School for the 2019-20 school year

I.      Employment of Kelcy Schnaufer as a preschool teacher for the 2019-20 school year

J.      Employment of Andrea Heckman as a preschool teacher for the 2019-20 school year

K.    Employment of Dane Cummings as a high school assistant football coach for the 2019-20 school year

L.     Employment of Allison Gorman as a high school assistant softball coach for the 2019-20 school year

M.   Employment of Kathi Hall as a middle school assistant wrestling coach for the 2019-20 school year

N.    Transfer of John Metcalf, middle school paraprofessional, to middle school Student Support Center/PE teacher and middle school assistant wrestling coach for the 2019-20 school year

O.    Employment of Bronson Moylan as a middle school assistant football coach for the 2019-20 school year

The board adjourned.

Fort Scott, Government

Fort Scott’s New Municipal Judge: John Bullard

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John Bullard, Fort Scott Municipal Judge. Submitted photo.

John Bullard was hired as the  Fort Scott Municipal Judge recently.

 

The position is part-time, according to a press release from the city.

 

Bullard hears cases that come before the municipal court and renders his decision on those cases.

 

Cases are heard on citations written by Fort Scott Police Officers, Codes Officers and Animal Control Officers.

 

Bullard earned his JD in law at Washburn University.

 

He is also the municipal judge for the City of Columbus from 2015 to the present and has been practicing law in southeast Kansas for over 30 years.

 

He has appeared in Bourbon County District Court many times and is familiar with Fort Scott and the local legal community, according to the city press release.

 

Judge Bullard lives in Columbus, KS and is active in his community.

 

He has a heart for working with children in the judicial system, according to the press release.

 

“We are excited to have Judge Bullard serving in our Municipal Court,” Deb Needleman, Director of Human Resources for the City of Fort Scott noted. “He has shared some of his thoughts and ideas on changes we might consider for some of our ordinances so they are more effective and provide more options in dealing with various situations.”

 

Fort Scott’sMunicipal Court is held the first and third Thursdays of every month at 3 p.m. in the City Commission Room at city hall, 123 S. Main.

 

If unsure of a court date, or need to reschedule, please contact the Municipal Court Clerk.

 

 

To learn more about Fort Scott’s Municipal Court click here:

https://fscity.org/174/Municipal-Court

 

Opinion

Wimbleton by Patty LaRoche

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Patty LaRoche

Wimbledon, the most impressive of all tennis tournaments, is over, and I am sad. For two weeks, Dave and I record the matches so we can watch them together when he gets home from work. Seeing English nobility in the “Royal Box” is thrilling, and everywhere the camera pans, there is no shortage of excellence, including the ball-boys and ball-girls. These are no ordinary ball retrievers.

Over 700 teens apply, and after a written test, 250 are selected and train for five months to perfect their skills of tossing, catching, and rolling the tennis balls as well as learn how to “present” the towel to the sweaty athlete. They scurry like jackrabbits to nab errant balls and return to their assigned position where they stand like robots. Perfection is expected.

The code of professionalism extends to everyone. This year, Serena Williams (the best female tennis player ever!) was fined $10,000 for damaging the grass practice court when she frustratedly threw her racquet to the ground. Three players were fined when the umpire found their coaches giving advice during the match. Bernard Tomic was fined his entire $56,000 prize money when the umpire determined he had not “tried hard enough.” (If fans are going to pay big bucks to watch this level of tennis, they deserve to get their money’s worth.)

This year, Dave and I were especially excited when Saturday’s women’s final round involved Serena Williams (U.S.A.) and Simona Halep (Romania), two of my favorites. I watched the match live that morning but recorded it for Dave who would pick up Chinese food on the way home from the ballpark and we would view it together. (I would need to gag myself not to disclose who won.) It didn’t matter. As Dave left the locker room, one of the other coaches shared the news: “Hey, Roachie, could you believe Serena got crushed?”

So much for our Wimbledon picnic. Dave opted not to watch the game.

Sunday would make up for it. Roger Federer would take on Novak Djokovic (whom I rooted against because he rudely rolled his eyes at one of the ball handlers). Once again, I DVR’d the event, joining the almost-ten million fans who watched on their televisions. Following church, Dave and I would hold our Wimbledon picnic and watch Roger win. I was on the edge of my chair the entire time. Four hours into it, they were tied when Dave’s phone buzzed and he blurted out, “This can’t be right. This lists the years Djokovic has won Wimbledon, and 2019 is listed. How would they know?” I stared at him. In shock. “Because England is five hours ahead of us. That’s why we record it,” I reminded him.

Seriously? SERIOUSLY? Dave just did to me what the other coach had done to him. My day was ruined. The suspense was gone. I now knew the ending. Dave immediately moved to the kitchen so I could sulk alone…which I did well, thank you very much. But then something changed. I found myself relaxing. The “highs” of Federer’s aces and “lows” of his errors were gone because I knew the results.

For most things, life doesn’t work like that…which probably is a good thing. None of us know how our day/week/month/life will turn out. All we have is this moment…except, that is, where the Bible is concerned. From the beginning to the end, we are given the full picture of how life plays out. God created. Satan interfered. Jesus saved and will return again to open Heaven’s doors for all who make him Lord.

Granted, there are earthly, daily, unpredictable issues for all of us (like people who disclose tennis results prematurely), but we can relax and not get too concerned about our “highs” and “lows” when we know the outcome of what really matters. Jesus wins. Satan loses. And we all know that in eternity’s case, the stakes are much higher than those of a tennis tournament.

Bourbon County

KDOT: Survey work could delay traffic in Bourbon County

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The Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) will be conducting pavement surveys along several highways in Bourbon County from Monday through Thursday, July 22-25, weather permitting:

  • K-3, from the Linn-Bourbon county line south to the Bourbon-Crawford county line;
  • K-65, entire route;
  • K-31, from the Linn-Bourbon county line to the U.S. 69 junction;
  • K-7, from the east K-31 junction to the U.S. 54 junction.

Traffic will be reduced to one lane and controlled by a pilot car through the survey area. Motorists should expect delays of up to 10-15 minutes. KDOT encourages motorists to allow extra time in their travel schedule or use an alternate route.

They survey work is necessary to determine the strength of the pavement and roadbed.  While the surface conditions can be measured and visualized, it is necessary to also determine if the pavement is strong and sound underneath the surface. Surveys are being conducted throughout the state on numerous highways from June to November.

Bourbon County, Business

Age 16-45? Join YPL

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Join the Young Professionals League of Bourbon County!
Serve * Lead * Connect
Open to employees, entrepreneurs, business owners, and really everyone else between the ages of 16-45, who want to develop leadership skills, build social and business networks, and give back to the community
SERVE
The mission of the Young Professionals League is to be a community resource to attract and retain young talent in Fort Scott, and also to help establish Fort Scott’s next generation of business and
community leaders.
LEAD
Our goal is to connect young professionals with opportunities for growth and leadership within the community
CONNECT
Our vision is to be adaptive advocates for a better community through progressive partnerships and networking
Membership in YPL of BB County is $40.
*New*
FREE Associate Membership for Bourbon County high school & college students!
Benefits:
Volunteer opportunities
Networking with local young professionals
YPL Scholarship Program
The group meets on the first Friday of every month at noon for networking over lunch at Papa Don’s Pizza.
For more info, contact
Allyson Turvey at
Follow YPL on Facebook & Instagram @YPLBBCO
To download a copy of YPL’s brochure, click HERE
Obituary

Obituary of Robert Swank

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Robert L. (Bob) Swank, age 71, resident of Arma, KS, died Thursday, July 18, 2019, at Arma Health and Rehab in Arma.

He was born November 25, 1947, in Ft. Scott, KS, the son of Robert C. and Lucille M. Ward Swank.

He married Patty Hubbard on February 26th, 1973, in Miami, OK.

Bob worked for Cessna Aircraft, Beachner Construction, Cobalt Boats, and the Iola and Yates Center nursing homes prior to his disability. He liked playing bingo, singing at the Rehab Center, and visiting the casinos. He loved playing Santa Claus for children and nursing home residents. Bob was baptized in the Methodist Church.

Survivors include his wife Patty, Pueblo, CO; a daughter, Bobbie House, Cherryvale, KS; a stepson, Charles George, Burlington, KS; a sister, Hazel Brown and husband Ron, Ft. Scott; a sister-in-law, Cassie Swank, Ft. Scott; four grandchildren; two great grandchildren; and numerous nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by a brother, Terry Lee Swank; and his parents.

Funeral services will be held at 11:00 AM Monday, July 22nd, at the Cheney Witt Chapel.

Burial will follow in the West Liberty Cemetery.

The family will receive friends from 10:00 until 11:00 AM Monday at the Cheney Witt Chapel.

Memorials are suggested to Arma Health and Rehab and may be left in care of the Cheney Witt Chapel, PO Box 347, 201 S. Main, Ft. Scott, KS 66701. Words of remembrance may be submitted to the online guestbook at cheneywitt.com.