Vicky Lynne Nation, 57, of Fort Scott, passed away Thursday, December 26, 2019 at Ascension Via Christi Hospital in Pittsburg, Kansas.
She was born in Fort Scott, Kansas, June 15, 1962, the daughter of Fred Allen and Connie Arleata (Hanna) Pettyman.
She is survived by two sons, Bryan Nation of Fort Scott, Kansas and Blayne Nation of Reno, Nevada, her mother, Connie Prettyman, a sister, Toni Reece and two nephews, Victor and Emerson Reece all of Pomona, Kansas.
The family will receive friends, 3:00 p.m., Sunday, December 29, 2019 at the Konantz-Cheney Funeral Home, 15 W. Wall Street, Fort Scott, Kansas.
Patricia Ann German, age 82, a resident of Ft. Scott, Kansas, went to be with her personal Lord and Savior Thursday, December 26, 2019, at the Via Christi Hospital in Pittsburg, Kansas.
She was born February 21, 1937, in Triadelphia, West Virginia, the daughter of Albert Martin King and Ruth Pauline Rhoades King.
Pat married Norman Dean German on December 23, 1968, at Miami, Oklahoma.
Pat had worked at Peerless Products for over twenty years. She enjoyed crocheting and used this talent to make hundreds of hats for the burn unit at the Shriners Hospital.
Pat and Norman enjoyed traveling to various Shriners events especially parades. Pat also liked cooking and decorating cakes. Above all, Pat loved being a grandma to her three grandchildren, and made it her duty to faithfully pick them up after school. She was a past member of the First Christian Church and more recently a member of the First United Methodist Church as well as the Daughters of the Nile.
Survivors include her daughter, Dee Ann Davis and husband, Allen, of Ft. Scott and three grandchildren, Cody Allen Davis who is stationed at Al Udeid Air Force Base in Qatar; Jasmine Bradley and husband, Chad, of Ft. Carson, Colorado and Lee Patrick Davis, of Ft. Scott.
Her husband, Norman, preceded her in death on April 4, 2008.
Following cremation, Rev. Reed Hartford will conduct a memorial service at 10:00 A.M. Saturday, January 4th at the Cheney Witt Chapel.
A private burial will take place at a later date at the U. S. National Cemetery. Instead of flowers, memorials are suggested to the Mirza Shrine Transportation Fund. This money will be used to take children to hospital visits and can be left in the 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.
There will be a Special Meeting of the Fort Scott City Commission held at 9:30 a.m. on Monday, December 30th, 2019 at the City Hall Commission Room, 123 S. Main Street, Fort Scott, Kansas 66701. It is anticipated the City Commission will convene into Executive Session to conduct this meeting.
SPECIAL MEETING AGENDA
FORT SCOTT CITY COMMISSION
CITY COMMISSION ROOM
123 S. MAIN STREET
FORT SCOTT, KANSAS 66701
9:30 A.M.
I. ROLL CALL:
ADAMSON BARTELSMEYER NICHOLS MITCHELL PARKER
EXECUTIVE SESSION:
I MOVE THAT THE CITY COMMISSION RECESS INTO EXECUTIVE
SESSION FOR ________________________________ IN ORDER TO
(see below justification)
DISCUSS ______________________________________. THE
EXECUTIVE SESSION WILL BE ___________ MINUTES AND THE OPEN
MEETING TO RESUME AT ________________.
Justifications for Executive Sessions:
Personnel matters of 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 or representatives 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
“After almost a full year of providing services in Ft. Scott, the Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas wanted to take one last look at preserving the hospital building that was built to last through several generations. As you can imagine, transitioning almost 75 people and five clinics in a few short months was a very daunting task a year ago and, at the time, we were concerned about making it as seamless as possible. We were aware that our lease was only two years and that a long-term solution needed to be found and the easiest approach was to build from ground up. We have indeed started that process.
However, one can’t spend any time in Ft. Scott without realizing the impact the Sisters of Mercy have had on the community over the last century and how much their hospital meant to everyone – especially those who donated toward building it. With a year of history in the building, we thought it wise before we invested $5 million in building a new clinic, to evaluate what the actual costs of keeping the hospital building open have been. Without many of the services a hospital provides, the cost appears to have been far less than originally projected. In the meantime, there has been renewed interest in using portions of the space for health-related purposes as evidenced by the meeting held in Ft. Scott a few weeks ago.
As a result, CHC/SEK is doing a feasibility study to determine exactly what it will take to preserve the facility from destruction. We have approached the Mercy System about the possibility of acquiring the building and they have responded positively. At this point, everything is very preliminary and no formal ask has been made.
This is something we can’t do alone. We have also approached other possible major tenants in the building including Ascension/Via Christi and may have enough to sustain and maintain the facility. Again, everything is in the discussion stages with no firm commitments or contracts. We will also be talking with the city and county over the next few weeks. The last thing we want to do is raise false hopes so please know this is just an evaluation of what may be possible.
I will be presenting a recommendation to my Board at their January 16th meeting. Time is of the essence so a decision whether to formally approach the Mercy System for the donation must be made prior to February 1. Two building projects have already been initiated for a new clinic and an new ER and decisions have to be made quickly if we are going to reverse course. That leaves little time to work out all the details and talk with everyone so my apologies to anyone who we may miss over the next few weeks.
We do want people to be aware of our efforts and will be happy to talk to anyone with an interest that we haven’t already spoken with. The concept of a ‘medical mall’ is a promising one but, at this point, is only an idea. The best way to reach me is via email at [email protected].”
CAPTION: A KDOT truck sprays a brine/beet mix on Thursday, Dec. 26, on U.S. 56 between Larned and Pawnee Rock. Crews in that area were spraying bridges and other areas vulnerable to freezing in anticipation of possible ice and snow Friday morning. Beet juice helps brine stick to pavement.
When KDOT crews treat highways for ice, especially when it is the coldest, motorists might notice darker trails on the pavement instead of the usual white trails left by brine.
It’s beet juice. It tends to leave a brownish or grayish residue.
Here’s why KDOT sometimes mixes beet juice with brine (saltwater) that it applies to roadways to melt ice or to slow its formation.
–The properties of beet juice, when mixed with brine, allow the melting agent to be effective at lower temperatures. Based on the level of concentration, beet juice mixed with brine can help control ice when it is as cold as around 0 degrees.
Beet juice also allows brine and salt to adhere to pavement longer.
On bridges, which tend to get icy, beet juice bonds to the salt crystals in brine and helps the brine stick to a bridge deck longer, says Jim Frye, Field Maintenance Manager/Emergency Coordinator with KDOT.
Another beet-juice benefit, says District Five District Engineer Brent Terstriep, is that when beet juice is added to brine, the combination makes ice-fighting more efficient because crews don’t have to drive out as often to apply brine.
Frye gave this additional explanation of how beet juice works and how it has been used:
–As moisture on pavement starts to freeze, the juice slows the process so that the liquid remains slushy longer. That gives crews more time to clear highways before the liquid turns to solid ice.
–One problem with spreading salt or spraying salt brine on a highway is that it will bounce away or scatter with traffic or the wind. “When the beet juice is added to the salt or salt brine, with its sticky texture, it will hold the salt or salt crystals on the highway longer, allowing it to work in our favor,” Frye said.
KDOT began experimenting with the beet juice it uses now during the winter of 2015 in northwestern Kansas. Since then, KDOT has made beet juice available at more than 20 locations across Kansas.
Annual Report on under Juvenile Justice Reforms Senate Bill 367 released
The Juvenile Justice Oversight Committee (JJOC), established under 2016 Senate Bill 367 (SB367) to oversee the implementation of reforms intended to improve the state’s juvenile justice system, has released its 2019 annual report.
The report presented annually by the JJOC to the Governor, President of the Senate, Speaker of the House of Representatives and the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court is an assessment of the progress made in implementation of juvenile justice reform efforts. The report is also made available to the public at https://www.doc.ks.gov/juvenile-services/committee/2019-annual-report/view
“I would like to thank the JJOC for their continued stewardship of this essential work to implement these juvenile justice reforms,” Acting Secretary Jeff Zmuda, Kansas Department of Corrections, said. “Courts, local juvenile justice agencies, defense attorneys, prosecutors, law enforcement, educators, service providers, child welfare and KDOC have been steadfast in their work to ensure that Kansas improves the effectiveness of the juvenile justice system, and this report reflects successes in that effort.”
Three years into reform of the juvenile justice system, Kansas has established statewide standards to reduce disparate outcomes, prohibited out-of-home placement for lower-level youth, focused intensive system resources on the highest-risk young people and provided for sustaining effective practices through a process of oversight and reinvestment in evidence-based services in the community.
“Of the many improvements to our state’s juvenile justice system, I am most encouraged to see the continuum of resources that now focus on serving kids and their families in the community, instead of removing them from the home and hoping the family can change,” Deputy Secretary Hope Cooper said. “The system is improving as a result, as is reflected in the JJOC’s annual report.”
Several factors motivated state officials to craft the SB367 juvenile justice reforms. They recognized that filling beds in out-of-home placements with lower-risk children was out of step with research showing that residential commitments generally fail to reduce — and can even increase — the likelihood of re-offending. Limiting out-of-home placement to only those youth posing an immediate risk of harm to others or themselves would help focus intensive system responses and resources on the children who need them most and assist in breaking the cycle of incarceration. And reinvesting resources in evidence-based programs would better serve children, families and communities, and ensure more consistent practices, across the state.
The Kansas Department of Corrections (KDOC) has three members on the 21-person JJOC, which is made up of representatives from the legislative, judicial and executive branches of state government and local officials.
Christopher Petty, M.S. Extension Agent, Livestock Production and Forage Management K-State Research and Extension Southwind Extension District, 210 S. National Fort Scott, KS 66701 (620) 223-3720 Work (620)224-6031 Cell [email protected]
The amount of grain left in the field for cattle to eat after harvest has been reduced considerably in recent years through modern farming improvements. However, weather conditions can result in significant ear drop or plant lodging. Before turning cattle out for grazing, scout fields to look for piles of grain on the ground and determine if there is over 8-10 bushels of grain on the ground. If so, management should be taken to remove these piles prior to turning out cattle on the residue. Be sure that cattle have had access to plenty of hay before turning them out into cornfields, to keep hungry cows from gorging in grain.
Any grain available, in the field after harvest, would have the highest protein content followed by the leaves. The cob has the lowest protein and energy value. The stalk and husks have similar crude protein content, but more energy is available from the husks than the stalks due to the lower lignin content. In general, leaves from milo sorghum residue have higher protein content than corn leaves. The stalks of corn and sorghum are similar in protein, but digestibility is somewhat higher in sorghum than corn.
To ensure adequate residue to protect soil remains on the field after grazing, we can use animal weight and grain yield to determine the amount of grazing available. Cattle will readily remove approximately 15% of the residue (leaves and husk), but can be forced to remove more if desired. The goal should be to leave at least ½ of the total amount of residue on the field.
If corn yield is 180 bu/acre, a rule of thumb is to divide by 3.5 to get grazing days for a 1200-pound cow. In this case, 180 bu/acre corn residue should provide approximately 51 days of grazing (180/3.5 = 51) for a 1200 lb cow. The harvest index is similar for both corn and grain sorghum, so an 85 bus/acre dryland sorghum divided by 3.5, would provide approximately 24 days of grazing (85/3.5 = 24). A lactating cow or a heavier cow will consume more dry matter and the days of grazing would be adjusted downward. And of course, a smaller animal could graze longer.
Cattle will selectively graze the crop residue, eating the highest quality portions first, grain then leaves and husks. Depending on the stocking rate, amount of grain available, and nutrient demands of the cows, no energy or protein supplementation may be needed early in the grazing period for dry cows with a body condition score of 5 or more. Contact your local extension office for more information about body Condition Scoring. Southwind Extension District Agent Christopher Petty is available for farm visits to explain this process using your cow herd. Weathering and trampling will decrease quality over time and this loss is greater with moisture and high humidity.
Cattle will cause soil compaction in paths leading to and around a water source. These compacted areas will only be surface compaction in the top 2-inches of soil. These compacted areas can be remedied by shallow tillage or spreading manure on the trafficked area if no-till is used. Results on soil compaction from grazing have shown mixed results. A study near Bushland, TX found surface compaction in a no-till system reduced crop yield after several years of grazing. While grazing studies from Nebraska found no increase in compaction and increased crop yield. Studies from western Kansas found compaction to only occur in the top two inches when grazing occurred on wet soils and shallow tillage removed any compaction. Compaction will be less on frozen, dry, sandy soils. It is best to remove cattle from the field to a nearby perennial pasture if the field stays wet and not frozen. Also, the farmer should be open to using light tillage should compaction occur.
Nutrient removal from grazing – Another common concern about grazing residue is nutrient removal. Nutrient removal will vary by the type of animal, with a growing calf requiring more nitrogen than a mature dry cow. Dry cows will typically be used to graze residue, which will remove between 1 and 2 lbs of nitrogen per acre (depending on crop yield) and few other nutrients. Crop residue is low in phosphorus; thus, farmers will likely supply a free-choice mineral, resulting in an increase in the amount of phosphorus and calcium left in the field.
When used properly, harvested corn and milo fields can work effectively to decrease the amount of hay needed to feed hay throughout the winter months. Unfortunately, soybean stubble is of little to no value, and cannot be used in the same manner. For more information about grazing grain stubble, contact your local extension office.
The City of Fort Scott Administrative offices will be closed on Wednesday, January 1st, 2020 in observance of the New Year’s Day Holiday. The regular offices will reopen on Thursday, January 2nd, 2020.
