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Government, Kansas

Sen. Hilderbrand Applauds Gov. Colyer’s Expansion Plans for Hwy. 69

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KANSAS SENATOR RICHARD HILDERBRAND ISSUES

STATEMENT ON HIGHWAY 69 EXPANSION

GALENA- Senator Richard Hilderbrand (R-Galena) today issued the following statement on Governor Jeff Colyer’s announcement to expand Highway 69:

“I applaud Governor Colyer’s announcement today on the critically needed four-lane expansion of Highway 69.

For too long the citizens of Southeast Kansas have been forgotten, and that is why this expansion has been a priority of mine.

Not only will this project increase safety, it will have a long-term economic impact on our region. I am extremely grateful for the hard work put in by the Highway 69 Association and everyone involved to make this happen.

While this is a good step in the right direction, our work is not finished. I will 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.”

Fort Scott, Mercy Hospital

Mercy’s New Home Health and Hospice Partnership

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Mercy and Integrity to join forces to coordinate home care and hospice across the region

 Not all healthcare happens in a hospital or a doctor’s office. Patients who head home after a surgery or serious illness often require some time to continue healing at home, and chronically-ill patients must manage their conditions at home daily.

For patients in either situation, having quality health care in their home can be the key to living their best life.

To provide that crucial service, Mercy and Integrity Home Care + Hospice are joining forces to more closely monitor and assist patients and their families throughout their healthcare journey.

“Integrity serves many patients throughout the region,” said Jon Swope, president of Mercy Springfield Communities and president of Mercy’s central region. “We plan to integrate Integrity with our electronic health record, so our doctors and clinical teams will be able to monitor and respond to even more home care patients’ conditions. That kind of coordinated care will reduce unnecessary emergency room visits and hospital readmissions because we can intervene more quickly.”

To create this fully integrated home care system, Integrity will merge Mercy Home Health & Hospice into its operations throughout southwest Missouri and southeastern Kansas. As a partner, Mercy will become a shareholder of Integrity and a member of the board of directors. While the company’s name will remain Integrity Home Care + Hospice, the logo will include information about its partnership with Mercy. Together, the two systems will become an even stronger home care and hospice team to serve the region.

“We help patients and their families navigate the challenging path of chronic illness, aging and end of life care in their homes, with an emphasis on their quality of life,” said Cliff Stepp, president of Integrity Home Care + Hospice. “Our goals include keeping chronically ill patients out of the hospital by monitoring their overall health and intervening before changes become serious. With skilled care, integrated medication management, and personal care services provided by an outstanding team of clinicians and caregivers, we’ll also closely support patients who choose us after they’re discharged from Mercy to home.”

As part of this new partnership, Mercy Home Health & Hospice co-workers in southwest Missouri and southeast Kansas will become a part of the larger Integrity team. Integrity Home Care + Hospice is headquartered in Springfield with offices in Joplin, Lebanon, Kansas City, Columbia, and St. Louis.

“This partnership makes great sense,” Swope said. “Along with their great quality scores, Integrity shares our faith-based mission and core values and puts patients at the center of making decisions about their own care. Our caregivers do the same and I know they will be valuable members of this new organization.”

A transition team is in place, with plans to complete the work this fall.

Mercy, which services millions annually, and was named one of the top five large U.S. health systems in 2018, 2017 and 2016 by IBM Watson Health. Mercy includes more than 40 acute care and specialty (heart, children’s, orthopedic and rehab) hospitals, 800 physician practices and outpatient facilities, 44,000 co-workers and 2,100 Mercy Clinic physicians in Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma. Mercy also has clinics, outpatient services and outreach ministries in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas. In addition, Mercy’s IT division, Mercy Technology Services, supply chain organization, ROi, and Mercy Virtual commercially serve providers and patients in more than 20 states coast to coast.

Business, Kansas

Workforce Innovation Conference Oct. 8-9 in Wichita

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Workforce Conference Graphic2

The Kansas Department of Commerce, KANSASWORKS, Kansas Department for Children and Families, and the Kansas Board of Regents are currently planning the first annual Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Conference in Kansas. This conference will aim to enhance and improve workforce development solutions in the state. The conference is scheduled for October 8-9, 2018 at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Wichita.

This engaging and interactive conference will afford an opportunity for employers, educators, economic development professionals, and community leaders to come together with state and local officials to discuss the unique challenges of meeting the growing workforce needs in the state.

The keynote speaker for the 2018 conference will be Dr. Michael Wooten, Acting Assistant Secretary & Deputy Assistant Secretary for Community Colleges with the U.S. Department of Education – Office of Career, Technical and Adult Education. Dr. Wooten provides leadership, direction, and management for over $2 billion in initiatives supporting career and technical education, adult education, correctional and re-entry education and community colleges.

The conference will be organized into four unique tracks:

  • Developing the Future Workforce
  • Developing a Talent Pipeline
  • Engaging Business Resources
  • Enhancing Career Pathways

Session topics including Recruiting and Retaining Talent, Future Workforce Skills, The Gig Economy, Generations in the Workplace, and many more.

“Our Kansas economy is very diverse and ever-evolving, requiring our state and education leaders to consider how best to develop a workforce with the skills required by employers,” said Mike Beene, Director of Employment Services at the Kansas Department of Commerce. “The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Conference will not only be a great opportunity to hear from national and state thought-leaders on how workforce needs are being addressed across the country and state, but also participate in a constructive dialogue among Kansans on how to successfully overcome talent recruitment and development challenges.”

The cost to register for the two-day conference is $100 and can be completed online at KansasCommerce.gov. The website will also include the full conference schedule, speaker biographies, and hotel information as they become available.

Entertainment, Fort Scott

Author of Life In A Jar at Liberty Theater July 28

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Lowell Milken Center to present Life in a Jar with author Jack Mayer at Liberty Theatre Event Free to the Public

The Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes will host the award-winning Life in a Jar: the Irena Sendler Project author Jack Mayer on Saturday, July 28 in the Liberty Theatre at 10 AM for a presentation followed by a performance of Life in a Jar at 2 PM.

These events happen in conjunction with the 2018 Poland Reunion and are free to the public.

Visitors from around the country and abroad will be in attendance to reconnect with those who traveled to Poland in 2017 to explore the story of Holocaust hero Irena Sendler, brought to light
by Kansas teens as part of a History Day Project.

The cornerstone project of the Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes, Life in a Jar has gained worldwide attention with over 350 presentations of the play, international media coverage, Hallmark Hall of Fame motion pictures, and award-winning book.

The public is invited to join in the following events:

10 AM – Life in a Jar: the Irena Sendler Project author Jack Mayer speaking at Liberty Theatre.

Q&A to follow.

2 PM – Life in a Jar performance at Liberty Theatre

5 PM – Wine and cheese social at the Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes

For more information regarding these events please call the Lowell Milken Center at 620-223-1312 or email Norm Conard ([email protected]).

About the Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes:
The Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes works with students and educators across diverse academic disciplines to develop history projects that highlight role models who demonstrate
courage, compassion, and respect. Through our unique project-based learning approach, students discover, develop and communicate the stories of Unsung Heroes who have made a profound and positive impact on the course of history. By championing these Unsung Heroes, students, educators, and communities discover their own power and responsibility

Bourbon County, Government

Bourbon County Commission Meeting July 18 At New Jail

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Agenda

Bourbon County Commission

Fort Scott, KS 66701

 9:00 a.m.

Date: July 18th, 2018

1st District-Lynne Oharah Minutes: Approved: _______________

2nd District-Jeff Fischer Corrected: _______________

3rd District-Nick Ruhl Adjourned at: _______________

County Clerk-Kendell Mason

10:00-Commissioners attend meeting at the new jail.

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

Bourbon County, Business, Schools

FSCC Business Expo August 22: Get Registered

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Kassie Fugate-Cate, FSCC Director of Strategic Communications.

Fort Scott Community College’s Annual Business Expo will take place August 22 from 9 am to 11:30 am.

Local businesses, please contact Kassie Cate at 620.223.2700 ext. 5248 or email [email protected] to register.

Spaces fill up fast so don’t hesitate. No registration cost. Take this opportunity to market your business and hire eager college students. The expo will take place in Bailey Hall.

Entertainment, Fort Scott

Magician Taylor Hughes Comes To FSCC August 3

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Taylor Hughes is a full-time entertainer with over 20 years of performance experience. He is one of the only people to have performed in all three showrooms at the World Famous Magic Castle before the age of 21.

He is a featured act on the television series “Masters of Illusion” and was recently presented the awards for “Best Illusion” “Best Comedy Magic” and “Best Showmanship” by the Society of American Magicians in Los Angeles. 

A popular entertainer, Taylor has performed for multiple organizations including Home Depot, AT&T, and The American Heart Association.

MagicShowPoster

Obituary

Obituary For Mary Jo Pellett

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Mary Jo Pellett, age 88, a resident of Ft. Scott, KS, died Sunday, July 15, 2018, at the Mercy Hospital E.R.

She was born May 16, 1930, in Ft. Scott, the daughter of Bert Edgar and Bertha Matkin Edgar. She graduated from Fort Scott high school with the class of 1947. Shortly after graduation, she began working for Western Insurance Company in Ft. Scott. She worked there for almost 42 years, retiring in 1988.

She married Joseph Pellet on April 12, 1953, in Ft. Scott. He preceded her in death on January 10, 1998.

Mary Jo enjoyed camping, crocheting, quilting, and visiting flea markets. She was a devoted member of St. John’s United Methodist Church, serving for several years as church secretary and treasurer.

Survivors include a nephew, Gary Davis and wife Linda, Ft. Scott; three  nieces, Connie Peterson and husband Dallas, Girard, KS, Linda DeMott and husband Gary, Ft. Scott, and Carol Graham and husband John, Parker, CO; 12 great nieces and nephews; 10 great-great nieces and nephews; brother-in-law Gene Davis; and special friend Bill Lawrence. Besides her husband Joe, she was preceded in death by a sister, Patricia Davis; and her parents.

Rev. Gary DeMott and Rev. Dallas Peterson will conduct funeral services at 10:00 AM Friday, July 20th, at the Cheney Witt Chapel.

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

The family will receive friends from 5:00 until 7:00 Thursday evening at the Cheney Witt Chapel.

Memorials are suggested to St. John’s United Methodist Church and may be left in the 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.