|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Downtown Meet and Greet April 4
All posts by Submitted Story
CHAMBER TO HOST JOB FAIR APRIL 13TH
The Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce will be hosting a Job Fair on Thursday, April 13th, from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the Ellis Fine Arts Center on the campus of Fort Scott Community College, 2108 S. Horton St.
The Job Fair will give businesses the opportunity to recruit students and other job seekers in the area for both part-time and full-time positions. Southeast KANSASWORKS will be present with a booth to provide resources and assistance.
Employers are encouraged to reserve a booth on fortscott.com/events. The cost to reserve an employer booth is $50 for Chamber members or $90 for non-Chamber members.
Contact the Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce at 620-223-3566 for more information or visit fortscott.com.
_____________
Employers registered to-date include:
CHC/SEK – Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas
City of Pittsburg Police Department
Fort Scott Presbyterian Village
Heartland Behavorial Health (Nevada)
Integrity Home Care + Hospice
Labconco
Kansas Department for Children and Families
Kansas Department of Transportation
Nevada Regional Medical Center
Peerless Products
Pittsburg State University
Southeast Kansas Mental Health Center
Twister Trailer
The Obituary of Laverne Person
Laverne Cummings Person, age 95, a resident of Ft. Scott, Kansas, passed away Wednesday, March 15, 2023, at the home of her daughter in Olathe, Kansas.
She was born August 12, 1927, in Ft. Scott, the daughter of Booker T. Cummings and Cleo Mae Jenkins Cummings. Laverne received her early education at the E. J. Hawkins School in Ft. Scott and went on to graduate from the Ft. Scott High School.
She married Dennis C. Person on March 2, 1946, in Ft. Scott. He preceded her in death on November 15, 1950.
Because of the untimely death of her husband, Laverne had to work hard to meet the needs of her family. In earlier years, she worked as a housekeeper and then took a job at the County Clerk’s office where she worked for a few years. Later, she was employed in human resources by the City of Ft. Scott where she worked for many years
Laverne had a life-long love of reading, and the last few years of her tenure with the City were spent working at the Ft. Scott Public Library
. In addition to reading, Laverne also enjoyed cooking and baking. Laverne was a woman of faith and was a longtime member of the United Missionary Baptist Church. She was also a past member of the Eastern Star and the Athenium Study Club.
Family was everything to Laverne, and they all pulled together to take care of her during her final years. Many precious memories were made on the back porch on Hill Street where family and friends gathered to listen to her words of wit and wisdom.
Laverne will be dearly missed by all who knew and loved her.
Survivors include her four daughters, Janice Greene (Arthur), Linda Wilson (Larry) and Cindy Becky (Brent) all of Olathe, Kansas and Holly Rogers (Richard) of Parker, Colorado; her daughter-in-law, Beverly Albertson Person of Kansas City, Missouri; twelve grandchildren and a host of great-grandchildren, great-great-grandchildren. Also surviving are two brothers, Jerry Cummings of Sacramento, California and Phillip Cummings (Mary Ann) of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; sisters-in-law, Wava Cummings and Alta Cummings and numerous nieces and nephews and friends.
In addition to her husband, Dennis, Laverne was preceded in death by her parents, Booker T. and Cleo Cummings, a son, Dennis Person, Jr. five brothers, Donald, who died in infancy, and Gardner, Charles, Albert and David Cummings and a sister, Maxine Gordon.
Funeral services will be held at 11:00 A.M. Friday, March 31st at the Cheney Witt Chapel.
Burial will follow in the U. S. National Cemetery.
The family will receive friends on Friday from 10:00 A.M. until service time at the Cheney Witt Chapel.
Memorials are suggested to the Ft. Scott Public Library and may be left in care of the Cheney Witt Chapel, 201 S. Main, P.O. Box 347, Ft. Scott, KS 66701. Words of remembrance may be submitted to the online guestbook at cheneywitt.com.
The Obituary of Leona Harned
Leona Belle Harned, age 81, a resident of Ft. Scott, Kansas, went to be with her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ on Tuesday, March 21, 2023, at the Via Christi Hospital in Pittsburg, Kansas.
She was born at home in Fulton, Kansas on July 3, 1941, the daughter of Luther Martin Harned and Julia Alma Cadwell Harned. Leona’s early years were spent in Fulton, Kansas. She attended the United Methodist Church in Fulton, Kansas during her youth. The Harned family later moved to Ft. Scott where Leona graduated from Ft. Scott High School and later from Ft. Scott Community College.
Throughout her life, Leona worked at various Ft. Scott restaurants which embodied her love for people and her love for serving others. Her last places of employment were in the cafeteria at Ft. Scott Community College and later at Marsha’s Deli. She reluctantly retired from Marsha’s Deli at age 78.
Leona had a strong love for Christ and shared her faith unashamedly. She spent many hours watching the TBN network on television and had an extensive collection of Bibles. She also enjoyed singing especially the old hymns of the church. She was a member of the Faith Church located south of Ft. Scott.
Leona is survived by two sisters, Julia Turbeville of Houston, Texas and Darlene Robinson of Ft. Scott, Kansas, as well as numerous nieces and nephews
She was preceded in death by her parents and three brothers, Edwin, Jimmy, and George Harned.
Following cremation, Pastor Matthew Hunt will conduct a memorial service at 11:00 A.M. Saturday, April 1st at the Cheney Witt Chapel.
The family will receive friends from 10:00 A.M. until service time on Saturday at the Cheney Witt Chapel.
Private burial will take place in the Memory Gardens Cemetery. Memorials are suggested to the Faith Church where it will be used for outreach, Bibles and missions. Services are under the direction of the Cheney Witt Chapel, 201 S. Main, P.O. Box 347, Ft. Scott, KS 66701. Words of remembrance may be submitted to the online guestbook at cheneywitt.com.
AWARENESS AS MEDICAID UNWINDING BEGINS
CHC/SEK INCREASING PATIENT AWARENESS AS MEDICAID UNWINDING BEGINS
On March 31, thousands of Kansans with Medicaid coverage (KanCare) are at risk of losing their coverage as the state moves forward with eligibility redeterminations for more than 500,000 KanCare recipients. The process has been referred to several ways, including “unwinding,” eligibility reviews, renewals, redetermination. The Medicaid unwinding process also affects Medicaid recipients in Missouri and Oklahoma and in all states, the redetermination process begins when the Medicaid recipient receives a letter from their respective state that they must respond to in order to remain covered.
At Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas about 20,000 patients are enrolled in Medicaid coverage and Community Health Workers are working to inform covered patients that renewals are coming back, and to be looking for a letter from their state plan.
At the start of the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, Congress enacted the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, which included a provision that state Medicaid programs keep recipients continuously enrolled through the end of the month in which the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE) ends, in exchange for enhanced federal funding.
Three years later, the continuous enrollment provision is set to expire on March 31, and states including Kansas are starting to re-determine annual eligibility for all of their Medicaid recipients. All beneficiaries will receive a Medicaid eligibility redetermination letter requesting information that they must respond to in order to remain covered.
Some patients will no longer be eligible due to income, age, or health status change.
“One of our concerns at CHC/SEK is that we know the pandemic displaced many KanCare/Medicaid] recipients from their traditional mailing addresses,” says Leah Gagnon, Director of Patient Engagement. “Our worry is whether or not they thought to notify KanCare or their respective agency of their address change, because if not, they might not know to respond to their redetermination letter.”
Gagnon says there are three important questions every KanCare or other Medicaid patient or their guardian needs to ask themselves They are, “Have I moved in the last three years? If so, did I report my change of address to the appropriate Medicaid agency? And, have I seen an official redetermination letter in my mail box and responded to it? If not, you are at risk of losing Medicaid coverage.” she says.
CHC/SEK has planned an extensive awareness campaign including signs and flyers, text messaging, social media posts and videos to educate Medicaid enrollees of the importance of the coming redetermination letters.
At CHC/SEK clinics, Community Health Workers and Benefits Enrollment Specialists are available to assist patients in the process and can reach them directly by calling 620-240-8919.
Medicaid Recipients can also go to Medicaid.gov and click on their state map, where it takes them to their state Medicaid website to update their address and other information.
Medicaid recipients can also contact their appropriate agencies by telephone. The number for Kansas Kancare is 800-792-4884 For Missouri, the MoHealthnet number is 573-751-3425 and, for Oklahoma the Oklahoma Health Authority/Soonercare number is 800-987-7767.
###
FSCC Women’s Luncheon is April 26
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Updates on Local Entities Planned for Luncheon on April 5
CHAMBER TO HOST COMMUNITY CONNECTION PANELIST LUNCHEON
The Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce will be hosting a Community Connection Panelist Luncheon on Wednesday, April 5th, from 11:45 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Empress Event Center, 7 N. Main St. Chamber members and the community are invited to attend for updates by the City of Fort Scott, Bourbon County, Fort Scott Community College, USD-234, USD-235, and Bourbon County REDI.
The event is free to attend but registration is requested. Box lunches are available by pre-order for $10 and those need to be ordered by April 3rd at 10am. Those planning to attend may RSVP online at fortscott.com under the events tab.
There will be a 7-minute update from each of the following panelists, ending with time for questions:
City of Fort Scott City Manager Brad Matkin
Bourbon County Commission Chair Jim Harris
FSCC President Alysia Johnston
USD-234 Superintendent Destry Brown
USD-235 Superintendent Vance Eden
Bourbon County REDI Executive Director Rob Harrington
Moderators for the event will be Bailey Lyons of Lyons Realty Group, 2023 Chamber Board Chair and Katie Casper, Union State Bank, Past Chamber Board Chair & Current Board Member.
This event is being sponsored by Davis Accounting, Inc. and Labconco.
Contact the Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce at 620-223-3566 for more information or visit fortscott.com.
FS City Commission Special Meeting This Evening
There will be a Special City Commission meeting tonight, Monday, March 27th at 5:00PM at City Hall to discuss the Wastewater Treatment Plant.
Death Notice of Gale Holman
Gale Eugene Holman, age 67, resident of Belton, MO, died Saturday, March 18, 2023, at the Research Medical Center, Kansas City, MO. There was cremation. Arrangements are under the direction of the Cheney Witt Chapel, 201 S. Main St., Fort Scott, KS.
Don’t Ask a Dum-Dum by Carolyn Tucker
Keys to the Kingdom
By Carolyn Tucker
I heard the following statement years ago and thought it was rather humorous: When God was handing out brains, there were some who misunderstood and thought He said trains, so they politely responded, “No thanks, I’ll take the next one.” Or how about this colloquialism: “He doesn’t know his head from a hole in the ground.” I’ve heard that it’s OK to say stuff like this as long as you conclude it with “bless his heart.“
In the book of Mark, we find King Herod, his wife Herodias, her daughter Salome, and John the Baptist in a showdown. On Herod’s birthday he hosted a stag party and invited his nobles, military commanders, and the leading men of Galilee. For their entertainment, Salome came in and really cut a rug. All the men were fascinated and greatly pleased with her razzle-dazzle dancing performance. “Ask me for anything you like,” the king said to the girl, “and I will give it to you.” He even vowed, “I will give you whatever you ask, up to half my kingdom!” She went out and asked her mother, “What should I ask for?” Her mother told her, “Ask for the head of John the Baptist!” So the girl hurried back to the king and told him, “I want the head of John the Baptist, right now, on a tray!” (Mark 6:22-25 NLT).
I think it‘s odd that a young girl couldn’t immediately rattle off a dozen or so things she’d like to have. Most women have an internal wish list. I can think of a hundred things she could have asked for — shoes, a lifetime supply of chocolate truffles, her own dance studio, etc. I really don’t think Salome should have asked her mother for advice. Herodias was obviously filled with hatred for John, so her head wasn’t on straight and her heart was like a prune. Because Salome didn’t use her own head, all she got out of the king’s rash vow was a grisly dance trophy to give to her mother. Herodias and Salome were both guilty of murdering John the Baptist, a good, righteous, and holy man. You can get into more trouble than you can shake a stick at by taking the wrong advice.
Be very careful when you ask for advice. If his/her own life’s a mess, that would be your first clue to take the next train. “If you don’t know what you’re doing, pray to the Father. He loves to help. You’ll get His help, and won’t be condescended to when you ask for it. Ask boldly, believingly, without a second thought“ (James 1:5,6 MSG). Wisdom doesn’t come from acquiring information, but rather from God Himself as He generously gives practical and spiritual insight for the asking. He doesn’t scold us because we’re sometimes thick headed; instead God kindly enables us to make wise decisions.
“For by wise guidance you can wage your war, and in abundance of counselors there is victory” (Proverbs 24:6 ESV). I put this verse into practice when we were planning, designing, and decorating for my daughter’s wedding in 2009. I prayed for wisdom and then I chose four girlfriends to help me wage the decorating war and we got it done smoothly and quickly. Mom always said, “Two heads are better than one.” However, it depends on whom the head belongs for that to be actually true. So choose wisely. Salome chose her mother’s head, which caused poor John to lose his.
The Key: Don’t hang out with dum-dums — it‘s just too dangerous.
U234 Board of Education Special Meeting Agenda March 27
BOARD OF EDUCATION SPECIAL MEETING
MARCH 27, 2023 – 5:30 P.M.
PUBLIC AGENDA
1.0 Call Meeting to Order
Danny Brown, President
2.0 Flag Salute
3.0 Funding Options & FSHS HVAC and Energy Project
3.1 Resolution No. 22-12 & Bond Documents (Action Item)
Be it resolved a Resolution of the governing body of Unified School District No. 234, Bourbon County, Kansas (Fort Scott) determining the advisability of financing the acquisition, and installation of certain energy conservation measures by the execution and delivery of a lease purchase agreement certificates of participation, Series 2023, in such lease purchase agreement.
3.2 Contract with TRANE (Action Item)
4.0 Approval of Bids for Vehicles (Action Item)
5.0 Change of Last Day of School (Action Item)
6.0 Other Business – Personnel Matters
6.1 Enter Executive Session – Personnel Matters (Action Item)
6.2 Exit Executive Session
6.3 Approval of Personnel Report (Action Item)
7.0 Adjourn Meeting
President Brown
Promote Empathy and Kindness in Kids
K-State Research and Extension
Family and Consumer Science Agent
Southwind District
211 W. Butler
Yates Center, KS 66783
620-625-8620
Over the past several weeks, I have offered a program called Gray for a Day to several Family and Consumer Science high school classes across the Southwind District.
The main goal of this program is to teach participants how to have empathy and show kindness to those that struggle with sensory and functional challenges due to aging. At the beginning of the first session, one participant asked me why empathy is so important. I paused to think about that answer as opposed to stating the obvious.
The most notable reason would be that all individuals seek kindness, comfort, love, and support. If you were struggling to reach the top shelf at the grocery store, you would hope that a passer-by would notice and offer to help you. But it goes much deeper than that surface-level answer.
Empathy is the ability to notice, share, understand, and consider how others feel. It is a large part of social behavior and establishing healthy relationships. Being able to empathize creates stronger social connections as it drives you to help others. There are ways to establish this skill throughout a lifespan, but it is extremely critical to start at a young age.
For young children, this is a complex set of emotions they begin to learn and develop while sharing toys and spaces and reacting to others’ feelings. One important thing to note is that children are impressionable and will model the behavior of those around them. By providing a good example for them to mimic, adults can help establish a behavioral pattern in young children.
To help support the development of empathy in children, adults can make examples out of others as they see them displaying positive behaviors. If they see unkind interactions, point that out to them and share how that might feel to others. Use verbal affirmations when you see a child do something kind and avoid giving treats or toys as a reward. This will diminish their motivation to engage in such acts. Let them make mistakes and learn from them. Help them understand how to correct their behavior so they can be better in future situations.
Empathy and kindness are critical skills for human development and healthy relationships at all ages. We can all work on enhancing this valuable skill. For more information, contact Cassidy Lutz at [email protected] or by calling 620-625-8620.