Monthly Archives: March 2020

Fort Scott Community College

Ronda Bailey Retires From FSCC

2 Comments
Ronda Bailey, submitted photo.

This is part of a series highlighting educators who will retire this school year.

In spite of the world crisis, life goes on, and FortScott.Biz will continue to  feature stories of local interest.

 

Ronda Bailey, 63, has been an educator at Fort Scott Community College for 36 years, teaching English, music and education.

She is retiring this year.

The best part of teaching for Bailey has been being with the students, she said. ” I love the classroom. I love seeing them succeed when they never thought they would; or sharpen their skills. Also, I enjoy watching them discover who they are and what they want to do with their lives.”

” I am heartbroken that I will not get to have the remainder of this year with the students who were in my classes, but I also know that some of them will be in my life after this is over. Many of my former students stay in touch, and I love it.  I am excited for the all-school reunion at Uniontown later this year.”

 

How did you become an educator?

“I remember sitting in my seventh-grade music class in Bronaugh listening to my band teacher Betty Jo Laflen. As I sat there, I realized I wanted to do what she did.  I am excited that this fall, I will be substituting for Bronaugh’s current band director while she is on maternity leave. It is exciting for me to go back to the room where my career started.”

 

Did someone inspire you to teach?

“There were many, but four come to mind. The first was my Aunt, Florence Mason. She taught in many of the one-room schools in Bourbon County.  She took me with her to school one day. I believe that was the day I thought teaching could be fun. I already mentioned Betty Jo Laflen. I told her that I wanted to do what she did.  She then mentored me.  She encouraged me by having me take solos to contest,  perform in ensembles at Bronaugh and PSU, and take voice, piano, and clarinet lessons. She continued in that mentor role throughout my career. Sharon Pruitt was the band director at Bronaugh after Mrs. Laflen resigned. Sharon has been a mentor too, and she was piano teacher my senior year. She prepared me for college. All of these women were positive role models that I was fortunate to have in my life. The last person taught me community college teaching, band directing, and recruiting was Robert Estes. He would explain the how and why he directed a composition a certain way, how to organize a music festival and much more.  My Aunt Florence died several years ago, but the other three are still very much in my life.  I am blessed.”

 

What have been the greatest challenges?

“Leaving Uniontown School District and leaving Fort Scott Community College.

The Uniontown school district, parents, and children accepted me with open arms. It was a time of great music there. We all worked toward a common goal, and we were successful marching, competing in contest competitions, and learning to love music. It was a wonderful time in my life, and it was so hard to leave..

” Leaving FSCC is a challenge too.  FSCC has been in my life for nearly 40 years. I walked on that campus a scared girl from Bronaugh who did not think she could achieve her dream of teaching, but FSCC was the perfect fit. I was in every music ensemble, second runner-up homecoming queen representing Christians on Campus, and student government. I was the Greyhound Express editor, and Bernita Hill, the sponsor, taught me so much about journalism and English. I have taught, in some capacity, at FSCC thirty-six years.  Walking out that door for the last time is hard.”

 

Thoughts on retiring?

“As I said previously, I am going to be a substitute at Bronaugh, Mo. I am excited to have my first summer without teaching summer classes for the first time in fifteen years. I want to read some of the good books that I have not had a chance to read for a while and sew some.

“Hopefully, this pandemic will pass soon and my husband and I will be able to travel some. Until then we will work on our cattle ranch.”

 

 

Bailey received an AA from FSCC in 1976,   a BSED K-12 instrumental and choral music education from Missouri Southern State University,  a master’s in music and also an English certification for 7-12 and Advanced Studies English from Pittsburg State University, in addition, she attended Baker University for Advanced Studies English.

 

 

Bailey’s hometown is Bronaugh, Mo. She is married to  Roger and they have a daughter, Taylor.

 

 

Bailey has been involved in the community in the following ways: Bourbon County Arts Council Member, Bourbon County Fair Fashion Revue Superintendent, Bourbon County Fair Extension Unit Sewing Judge, Progressive Mother’s Club Member, and past president and vice president, Gordon Parks Center Board, member of Community Christian Church and worship accompanist.

 

 

 

 

Bourbon County, Fort Scott Community College, Health Care

FSCC Nursing Program donates medical supplies

Leave a comment

Fort Scott Community College (FSCC) Department of Nursing has been fortunate enough to be able to give back to people of Fort Scott and the surrounding communities during this time of uncertainty. The FSCC Department of Nursing was able to donate the following to Ascension Via Christi in Fort Scott:

  • 20,000 gloves of various sizes
  • 1,100 ear-loop masks
  • 250 pairs of shoe covers
  • 100+ N95 masks
  • 100+ isolation gowns
  • 7 face shields
  • 12 disposable stethoscopes.

“It is a true honor to be in the position that we are able to donate these supplies to those healthcare superheroes so they are adequately able to care for our community,” says Jordan Howard, Director of FSCC.

All of FSCC’s classes have recently moved to an online base learning including the Nursing Program for the remainder of the semester. The technical/hands-on classes such as FSCC Nursing, John Deere, Welding, etc. do have the ability to do simulations online that mimic real-life scenarios. Because of that, the FSCC Nursing Department wanted to put their unused medical supplies to good use.

“We definitely want to help keep our frontline ER personnel safe and are more than happy to support our local healthcare needs with the supplies,” says Alysia Johnston, FSCC President.

To view FSCC’s COVID-19 EAP and any other updates, please visit fortscott.edu.

###

Area News

Medical Workers Urge The Public To Stay Home

Leave a comment

Open letter to the American public: Physicians, nurses and our entire medical community are urging all people to stay at home.

We are honored to serve and put our lives on the front line to protect and save as many lives as possible. But we need your help.

Physical distancing and staying at home are the key to slowing the spread of 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID-19) to give physicians, nurses and everyone on the front lines a fighting chance at having the equipment, time and resources necessary to take on this immense challenge.

Those contracting COVID-19 are your family, friends, and loved ones.

That’s why we’re urging the public to #StayHome as we reach the critical stages of our national response to COVID-19.

Of course, those with urgent medical needs, including pregnant women, should seek care as needed.

Everyone else should #StayHome. Millions of you are already leading this effort – and we thank you. You’re still connecting with friends and loved ones through video chats, social media or just over the telephone – proving that meaningful social connections can happen at a safe distance.

Millions more must join this effort, which is why we’re calling for all-hands-on-deck to confront this public health battle against COVID-19.

Staying at home in this urgent moment is our best defense to turn the tide against COVID-19. Physicians, nurses and health care workers are at work for you, please stay home for us.

Your partners in health, American Hospital Association American Medical Association American Nurses Association.

Submitted by Nancy Van Patten

Bourbon County, Fort Scott

American Legion Update

Leave a comment
Saturday’s Motorcycle Basic Skills Class has been postponed.
Boys State, Cadet Law and the American Legion College have all been cancelled for this year.
Our Post 25 general membership meeting for Monday, April 6 is cancelled.
The American Legion is pushing “Buddy Check” during this Corona Virus outbreak. Several Post Officers are reaching out to our members who do not use email and are checking on them.
If you are aware of a neighbor in need, let me know. I’ll see how the Fort Scott American Legion can assist them.
Two Positive Notes:
Post 25 welcomes Richard Marshall, WW2 Veteran, as new Post 25 member. With Legionnaire Marshall joining our Post, Post 25 now has 100 members. A milestone by any standard.
Legionnaires and Riders Chapter 25 members Darrell Spencer, Jake Campbell, Myra Jowers and Carl Jowers participated today in an American Legion Riders escort for a deceased Veteran from Mound City to Bronson. Paola American Legion Riders Chapter 153 was the host Riders Chapter for the escort.
Stay safe.
Carl Jowers. Post 25 Commander
Opinion

Caronavirus Ideas By Patty LaRoche

Leave a comment
Patty LaRoche

A friend emailed me to say how bored she is. Covid-19 has forced her to become a recluse, and she has nothing to do.
“Nothing to do?” I respond. Really? Nothing? I ask her a few questions.

Have you checked your spice rack? If yours is like mine, your basil, sage, tarragon and thyme expired in 2016. How about your photos? Do you seriously recognize the people in each picture? (No, you don’t.) And why do you need multiple snapshots of the same redwood tree—yes, we applaud you using multiple angles–from Yosemite National Park? Trust me, these are not slides your friends want to watch at the next get together. Correction: make that ANY gathering. What about tax statements held hostage since 2010? (According to the IRS: “Keep records for 3 years from the date you filed your original return or 2 years from the date you paid the tax, whichever is later…”) Buy a shredder. On line. But don’t bring the package inside.

For those of you who are Amazon freaks and daily are visited by UPS, pretend your gift is filled with bed bugs. Open it with plastic gloves. Outside. Discard the box immediately. In your rude neighbor’s trash can. (I’m funny.) Clean your file cabinet. (My kids would have gone nuts, had I died and they had to deal with all the irrelevant paperwork I’ve accumulated.); clean out the garage (although this virus will have to last a decade for me to finish this task); dance to praise music; smash old hard drives from laptops you have replaced but not discarded; rake those leaves you ignored since last spring; and pray. More than you ever have.

Don’t waste an opportunity. Wash your hands multiple times a day to the tune of “The Lord’s Prayer” (exactly 20 seconds, unless you try to break the speed of sound like I did when I was in elementary school). Or be creative. One of my friends is keeping entertained by pretending to do lawn work every time a realtor brings a possible buyer to her next-door neighbor’s house. (Hey, don’t judge. You know, that “sin” thing.)

Each evening, our California friends are staying in their front yards, playing charades with their neighbors across the street. Should you want to remain inside, check out your accumulation of unread books. And then read them! Recommend great ones to friends. Send an encouraging email or text to someone who is alone and discouraged. The other evening, one of my friends texted five of us a great Netflix movie to watch: The Shadows of Motown. Then we group-texted, sharing our fun memories of that era as we danced to the greatest songs of all time (my opinion, yes). As for those puzzles long overlooked, start one, and if pieces are missing, work on another to see if the runaways have relocated (spoken from experience). Should the prodigal pieces not appear, bid your puzzle goodbye. Trust me, the pain is short-lived.

Pack up clothes that last fit in 1995. If you haven’t lost those 45 pounds by now, chances are slim—even if you aren’t—that you will benefit from them before the moths do. Join the local group of ladies who are making masks for the health care workers. Stop calling your financial planner asking for advice; he/she has no crystal ball. Thank those people who stock the shelves with needed supplies—you know, the ones we all have taken for granted. Support local restaurants and businesses that are offering curb-side service in order to survive. Go through your church directory and make calls to those without a support system. Offer to pray for them. And then, do it.

Anyway, you get the point. God has given us this time to reevaluate our priorities. We all must use this time for good. I hope this article has given you some ideas, should you be one of those claiming to be “bored.” And if worse comes to worse, come to my house to de-weed my yard. I promise to keep a six-foot distance.

Government, Kansas

March 26, 2020 Public Update COVID-19

Leave a comment

For more information: www.kdheks.gov/coronavirus
2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) in Kansas Test Results
Updated 3/26/20 at 11 a.m.

Total Positive Cases
168
Private Labs
111
Kansas Health and Environmental Lab (KHEL)
57
Deaths (included in above numbers)
3
Out-of-State Resident Positive Cases*
(not counted in Kansas numbers)
2

Total Negative Cases for Kansans
2,869
Positive Case Information
County Number

Bourbon
1
Mitchell
2
Butler
3
Morris
2
Cherokee
2
Neosho
1
Crawford
3**
Pottawatomie
1
Doniphan
1
Reno
4
Douglas
13*
Riley
1
Franklin
1
Sedgwick
16
Jackson
1
Shawnee
4
Johnson
59
Sumner
1
Leavenworth
12
Woodson
1
Linn
4
Wyandotte
34
Lyon
3
*Ford and Miami Counties reported positive cases in out-of-state residents.
**1 case in Douglas and 2 cases in Crawford are presumptive positive at a reference lab, but were not confirmed through the KDHE lab, so are included in the county numbers, but not in the overall state total or demographics at this time.

Demographics
Gender

Female
78

Male
90

Age Range
Age range on patients is 7 to 90 years of age, with a median age of 54.

Government, Kansas

Connecting Communities

Leave a comment
Carla Nemecek is Southwind District Director and agent.

Do you belong to a committee, board, club or other organization who needs to discuss important issues while trying to respect social distancing guidelines? Until groups of 10 or more can meet face-to-face, the Southwind Extension District can help you by remotely connecting individuals who need to plan and discuss issues important to our communities.

 

This is an on-demand service, so please call the Southwind Extension District at 620-365-2242 or email [email protected] to establish the details for your meeting, and we will be happy to assist you. This technology is available to anyone who utilizes a computer, smart phone or land-line phone and wants to connect for community purposes. Best of all, there is no cost to utilize this service!

 

The Extension mission continues, and the Southwind Extension District is committed to being innovative to connect you with research-based resources and education. We appreciate your patience as we all encounter the challenges, and we look forward to assisting you with research-based information and services that will help you navigate these unprecedented times.

 

For more information, you can find the Southwind Extension District on Facebook, and on our website at www.southwind.ksu.edu for information important to Allen, Bourbon, Neosho and Woodson Counties.

 

Carla Nemecek
Southwind Extension District
Director & Agent
[email protected]
620-365-2242
1 North Washington, Iola, KS 66749

Government, Kansas

Official Statement from the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism

Leave a comment

 

 

Public Visitation

The Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism (KDWPT) continues to closely monitor the COVID-19 Coronavirus crisis and remains vigilant in implementing appropriate safety protocols to ensure public use areas remain safe and open to the public.

 

In counties with local Stay At Home mandates, KDWPT will work with local officials regarding any other restrictions. State parks, state fishing lakes and wildlife areas remain open.

 

License Fees

KDWPT is not currently considering waiving fishing license fees. KDWPT is funded solely from the sale of licenses and permits, and that funding is crucial to keeping gates and facilities open and law enforcement in place.

 

“During this time of unprecedented changes, there is value in those things that can stay consistent,” said Secretary Brad Loveless. “We’re committed to keeping Kansas’ state parks, state fishing lakes and wildlife areas open so that Kansans can continue to safely enjoy the outdoors. To achieve this, we must keep game wardens, public land managers, and park staff working in the field.”

Government, Kansas

KDHE and KDA recommend voluntary reduction in burning

Leave a comment

 

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic currently impacting all states, including Kansas, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment and the Kansas Department of Agriculture strongly encourage all land owners and managers to voluntarily reduce the number of acres that they intend to burn this spring.

“With the potential for this pandemic overwhelming the state’s medical facilities, any additional respiratory concerns that could be produced from breathing smoke from prescribed fire need to be mitigated,” Dr. Lee Norman, KDHE Secretary, said.

Common health problems related to smoke can include burning eyes, runny nose, coughing and illnesses such as bronchitis. Individuals with respiratory issues, including COVID-19, pre-existing heart or lung diseases, children and the elderly may experience worse symptoms.

With resources of the county emergency response staff already being taxed with COVID-19 response, it is important to minimize responses that would come with prescribed fire activity.

It is critical that land managers in areas included in the Smoke Model available online at ksfire.org consult the model if they do choose to burn. The model indicates the level at which a burn would contribute to urban area air quality problems. Secretary of Agriculture Mike Beam urges land managers to refrain from burning, especially if your area is predicted in the large (red) contribution range.

“Prescribed burning is a valuable land management tool in the efforts to fight invasive species and maximize land productivity, and this request should not be interpreted as an indictment of the practice of burning,” Beam said. “However, the circumstances surrounding the coronavirus pandemic have created a situation that calls for reducing burned acres this spring.”

For the latest information related to COVID-19, and to sign up for daily updates sent to your email inbox, visit the Kansas Department of Health and Environment’s COVID-19 Resource Center at www.kdheks.gov/coronavirus.

###