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Monthly Archives: March 2021
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Kansas Phase 5 of COVID Plan Begins March 29
Governor Laura Kelly Announces Kansas to Move to Phase 5 of Vaccine Distribution Plan
~Starting Monday, March 29 all Kansans (16+) Eligible for COVID-19 Vaccine~
TOPEKA – Governor Laura Kelly today announced that starting next Monday, March 29, 2021, the State of Kansas will make the COVID-19 vaccine available to all Kansans (16+), entering the final Phase 5 of the Vaccine Prioritization plan.
“With the anticipated increase in supply from the federal government, we must get every dose of vaccine into arms quickly,” Governor Laura Kelly said. “I strongly encourage every Kansan to get the COVID-19 vaccine so we can get back to school, back to work, and back to normal.”
Kansas will become the 8th state to make the vaccine available to all adults, joining Alaska, Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, Utah, and West Virginia.
As of March 26, 35.1% of the adult population in Kansas had received at least one dose of the vaccine.
In the early part of the vaccination program (December 2020 – February 2021), limited federal supply led to demand for vaccine consistently outstripping supply. However, the supply increases of recent weeks have reversed this situation. Local Health Departments (LHDs) and providers have started reporting a decline in demand despite the state opening to Phases 3 and 4 populations. To ensure no vaccine goes to waste, the Kelly administration decided to open eligibility to all Kansans.
Kansans are encouraged to use the Vaccine Finder tool to find the nearest location with available vaccine.
About the COVID-19 vaccines:
- COVID-19 Vaccines work: New England Journal of Medicine published a study on Feb. 24 that found researchers in Israel and the U.S. report that the vaccine made by Pfizer-BioNTech was highly effective in protecting against infection with the COVID-19 virus, lowering people’s chances of getting sick with the disease—especially severe disease—and dropping COVID-19 hospitalization rates.
- Scientists have been researching mRNA technology, which makes it possible to create a vaccine faster, for years to prepare for potential infectious viruses. This research and the high supply of volunteers for clinical trials led to the relatively quick development of the COVID-19 vaccines.
- COVID-19 vaccines must meet rigorous standards and have undergone the most intensive safety monitoring in U.S. history. The three COVID-19 vaccines had to meet safety and effectiveness standards to be approved for Emergency Use Authorization and have been evaluated in tens of thousands of participants in clinical trials.
What’s Happening In Fort Scott March 26th Edition
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Continue reading What’s Happening In Fort Scott March 26th Edition
Obituary of Frank Crystal
Frank Richard Crystal, age 83, a resident of Devon, Kansas, passed away Friday, March 26, 2021, at his home.
He was born December 19, 1937. Frank was born and raised in the Pawnee/Cato area.
Frank enjoyed Friday nights with his family, fishing and taking care of his cows on the farm. You could always find Frank on Wednesday nights playing cards with the guys or on Saturdays at the Sale Barn or attending a farm auction.
Frank married Patricia Sue Krull in November of 1959. Frank and Pat together had five boys; Mark and wife, Trish, Marty and wife, Jolene, Mickey and wife Theresa, Matt and Mitch Crystal.
Frank later met Yvonne Beck and her daughter, Susie, and they became part of the family. Frank got to handpick his daughter, Susie, and later got a son-in-law, Chris Arvidson.
Yvonne Beck survives of the home along with his five boys and his daughter.
Also surviving are his grandchildren, Matthew, Jordin, Brooke, Devann, John, Jackie, Raylene, Kaylyn, Callie, Dyllian, Tate, Garrett, Cord, and Cody, and great-grandchildren, Evan, Neva, Josie, Finnley, Olivia, Kannon, and Kennedy his sister, Carolyn Crystal, and several nieces and nephews.
Frank was preceded in death by his father, Joe Crystal, his mother, Elva and step-father, Lester Hunt, and infant sister, Darlene Crystal, a brother, James Crystal and sister, Wilda Insley as well as a great-grandson, Thomas “TJ” Burton, Jr.
The family would like to give a special thank you to all his doctor’s and nurses that have cared for Frank over the years and a special thanks to his dialysis nurses Patti and Nancy.
Funeral services with Masonic rites will be held at 10:00 A.M. Tuesday, April 6th at the Cheney Witt Chapel.
Following funeral services, there will be cremation and a private family burial will take place later in the Large Cemetery.
The family will receive friends from 5 to 7 P.M. Monday, April 5th at the Cheney Witt Chapel.
Memorials are suggested to the Xenia Masonic Lodge and may be left in care of the Cheney Witt Chapel, 201 S. Main, Ft. Scott, KS 66701. Words of remembrance may be submitted to the online guestbook at cheneywitt.com.
Death Notice of William Carl Jowers
William Carl Jowers, age 69, formerly of Ft. Scott, KS, recently of Joplin, MO, died Wednesday, March 24, 2021, at Mercy Hospital, Joplin, MO. Memorial services for Carl Jowers will be held at 1:00 PM Saturday, April 3rd, at the First Southern Baptist Church. Cheney Witt Chapel will publish a full obituary in the next edition.
Death Notice of Marilyn Barker
Marilyn M. Barker, age 76, resident of Ft. Scott, KS, died Friday, March 26, 2021, at Ascension Via Christi Hospital in Pittsburg, KS.
Funeral services for Marilyn Barker will be held at 11:30 AM Friday, April 2nd, at the First Baptist Church.
The family will receive friends from 10:30 until service time at the church.
The family committal will take place in the U. S. National Cemetery.
Cheney Witt Chapel will publish a full obituary in the next edition.
U.S. Hwy. 69 Improvement Begins in Fort Scott March 29
The Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) plans to begin work on a U.S. 69 resurfacing project at Fort Scott on Monday, March 29, according to a KDOT press release. The project starts at the south U.S. 54 junction and continues south for six miles, ending ½ mile south of K-7.
Project activity includes a cold mill, concrete patching, and a three-inch asphalt overlay, according to the press release. The contractor will start at Wall Street and work south. Traffic is reduced to one lane in each direction at the work zone, with a width restriction of 12 feet. Flaggers will direct traffic on side roads.
Fort Scott City ManagerJeremy Frazier couldn’t be more excited about this street resurfacing project, he said.
“I believe that passers-through, whether right or wrong, assume that the condition of this highway embodies an accurate depiction of the City of Fort Scott,” Frazier said. “Although this highway is a KDOT Highway, there may be an assumption that it is a city-maintained highway. This of course is not the case.”
“To have this highway repaired is great news for Fort Scott,” he said.
” I am ecstatic and believe that this highway repair project lays the groundwork for future plans that we believe will come together with perfect timing,” Frazier said. “We are a long way away from changing the image of this community, but I feel, as I hope that everyone does, that the energy and enthusiasm present in the community will result in turning the corner not only in the downtown area but throughout the community. I am also optimistic that years from now, the community will have progressed in many ways for the better. Thank you KDOT. Thanks to the citizens, Fort Scott City Commission, non-profits, and business community!
KDOT awarded the $2.9 million construction contract to Bettis Asphalt & Construction, Inc., Topeka, according to the press release. Weather permitting, the road work should be finished this summer.
Check KDOT’s updated traveler information website, www.Kandrive.org, for more road conditions and construction details. KDOT urges all motorists to be alert and obey the warning signs when approaching and driving through a work zone.
Persons with questions may contact Iola Area Engineer Troy Howard, (620) 901-6557, or Public Affairs Manager Priscilla Petersen, (620) 902-6433.
Possible Streetscape
“I am additionally excited as I recently began discussions with KDOT to explore resources that might assist in a possible streetscape of HWY 69,” Frazier said. “If this streetscape were designed and constructed after the highway was repaired, it would mean that HWY 69 could become one of the most attractive routes through the community.”
Mental Illness Outpatient Treatment Being Developed
Governor Laura Kelly Announces KDADS Awarded $4 Million Grant to Strengthen Outpatient Treatment Services for Kansans with Serious Mental Illness
TOPEKA – Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services (KDADS) Secretary Laura Howard announced today the agency has received a federal commitment of $4 million in grant funding to develop Assisted Outpatient Treatment (AOT) services that will enhance outpatient treatment services for people with serious mental illness (SMI) in Kansas. The grant will make $1 million available annually for four years. The funds will support five AOT pilot sites to reduce the incarceration and/or hospitalization of people with SMI in their communities through court ordered outpatient treatment.
“Since day one, my administration has focused on improving services for Kansans who would be better served by treatment than incarceration,” Governor Kelly said. “Using what we learn from these pilot sites, we’re ready to work with state and local partners to develop guidelines to protect Kansans statewide and reduce the number of individuals with mental illness in jails or in hospitals.”
“This grant enhances partnerships with law enforcement, mental health services, courts, hospitals and other community services within the pilot site communities to get Kansans with SMI the help they need in their own communities,” KDADS Secretary Howard said. “The results of the project will inform recommendation to the Kansas Legislature on ways to improve Assisted Outpatient Treatment in Kansas.”
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMSHA), the agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that leads public health efforts to advance the behavioral health of the nation, awarded the grant to fund Kansas’ AOT pilot project in five regions and key communities across the state.
“KDADS is excited to be able to implement this grant in Kansas and expand opportunities for Kansans to receive community treatment instead of being admitted to state hospitals for institutional treatment,” KDADS Behavioral Health Services Commissioner Andy Brown said. “Our goals to work with local courts and CMHCs to reduce both incarcerations and involuntary hospitalizations for people with serious mental illness will be advanced with this funding from SAMHSA.”
This four-year SAMHSA program is intended to implement and evaluate new AOT programs and identify evidence-based practices in order to reduce the incidence and duration of psychiatric hospitalization, homelessness, incarcerations, and interactions with the criminal justice system while improving the health and social outcomes of individuals with an SMI. This program is designed to work with courts to allow these individuals to obtain treatment while continuing to live in the community and their homes.
The intent of the Kansas AOT Project is to create five pilot sites in Kansas to establish process and procedure in support of modification of involuntary commitment laws and transition to the AOT model. The pilot sites include the Kansas counties of Cowley, Douglas, Ellis, Ford and Riley. In a recent report card from the Treatment Advocacy Center, several gaps were identified in Kansas’s current laws – no explicit criteria for psychiatric deterioration, the treatment plan is not shared with the court, duration of initial order is not long enough, duration of continued order is not long enough, and there is no court monitoring of voluntary settlement agreements. These gaps will be addressed during the project through the pilot sites. The result of the pilot project will be recommendations to the Kansas Legislature to amend statutes to support a permanent AOT program in Kansas.
Continue reading Mental Illness Outpatient Treatment Being Developed
The Bourbon County Sheriff’s Office Daily Reports March 26
The Fort Scott Police Department Daily Reports March 3 – 25
Pandemic Disaster Emergency Declaration Extended
Submitted by Rebecca Johnson, Southeast Kansas Multi-County Health Department Administrator.
The state of disaster emergency declaration will be extended to May 28, 2021. Governor Kelly will re-issue the following order (among several others) and it will remain in effect until rescinded or until the statewide state of disaster emergency expires, whichever is earlier:
- 20-68 – Establishing a face coverings protocol: https://governor.kansas.gov/executive-order-no-20-68/
Also, Governor Kelly will not be re-issuing the order below and it will allow it to expire:
- 20-59 – Requiring COVID-19 mitigation procedures in K-12 schools: https://governor.kansas.gov/executive-order-no-20-59/
The Laws of 2021 by Patty LaRoche
I am proud to be an American. I love the U.S.A., but for the life of me, I’m saddened that we seem to be moving in a direction lacking common sense and fairness, and I keep calling out to Jesus to heal our land.
Example #1: My friend spent years attempting to become a legal citizen, to pay the $600, to study for the naturalization test (including ridiculous questions about the First Intercontinental Congress). I realize that, as Christians, we are to care for the less fortunate, but Covid-positive illegals are entering our country, boarding our busses and traveling to various states. We legals can’t do that. When I leave Mexico to return to the United States in a few weeks, I will need a negative Covid test within 72 hours of my flight. The airline will look at my document before allowing me to board the plane. (And yes, I would rather have a Covid test than swim the Rio Grande, but that’s not the point.)
Example #2: Hard-working citizens want their businesses to open. I have watched my granddaughter, a California beautician, be jobless for the past nine months. (Unfortunately for her, Nancy Pelosi is not her client.) My friend’s restaurants are allowed a 25% capacity—not enough to pay the wages of the employees. I don’t get it. Mexico restaurants are open. Customers’ temperatures are taken, hand sanitizer is used, and social distancing is required.
But not in America. Only in America are there more penalties for re-opening our own business than for looting and destroying someone else’s.
Example #3: “I acted in a way that made people feel uncomfortable,” said New York Governor Cuomo, explaining his behavior concerning the sexual harassment charges facing him. “Uncomfortable”? Is there a better euphemism? I’m uncomfortable if I relax on a hard chair with no cushion for more than 30 minutes. If I sit on the ground and try to get up, without the aid of Dave or a piece of furniture to help. If my friend tries on a pair of pants that clearly are two sizes too small and wants my opinion. But “uncomfortable” as a reference for his alleged victims’ feelings? Not the right word.
Example #4: This morning I was in a Bible study with two women from Seattle. Because homelessness has been allowed to overtake their area, they no longer travel into the heart of the city where they grew up. They are overwhelmed by the bombardment at street corners by pan-handlers. The tent-cities dominate the sidewalks where businesses once thrived. A problem that started out small has overtaken their beloved hometown.
Example #5: Newscasters call our country systemically racist, pointing fingers at we whites. Well, I’m confused. Could that work both ways? Could blacks be racist towards whites? I’ve certainly experienced it, yet that doesn’t keep me from loving my black friends. Or admiring them. In college I hung with the black freshmen girls who tried to teach me the latest dance steps. In the baseball world, several of our close friends were black, and in today’s society, I am in awe of the dominance of blacks with athletic/musical/artistic/academic talents. Yet I am “racist” because I’m not a fan of B.L.M. God knows my heart. No one else does.
Example #6: In the “Pandemic Stimulus Package” 91% of our tax dollars are funding everything BUT Covid relief. That bill has more pork than my great aunt’s 450-pound sow. Here are two specifics: (1) $1.5 million for the Seaway International Bridge between Massena, New York, and Canada, and (2) $100 million toward construction of an underground rail line linking House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s San Francisco district and Silicon Valley. H-E-L-L-O! Those are OUR tax dollars, folks.
Talks abound that Jesus is coming soon. I don’t know if he is or isn’t, so I continue to pray for my country that I will demonstrate love, especially to those with whom I so vehemently disagree. That’s all I know to do. I hope they do the same for me.