Governor Laura Kelly Vetoes Junk Insurance Bill; Calls for Medicaid Expansion
~Protects Kansas families and Kansans with a preexisting condition~
TOPEKA – The following statement is attributable to Governor Laura Kelly on Senate Bill 29:
“We already know the solution to provide health care for 165,000 Kansans, bring thousands of jobs to our state, save small businesses money, protect rural hospitals, and inject millions into our economy is to expand Medicaid.
“Junk insurance – which doesn’t cover pre-existing conditions or provide consumer protections – is just that, “junk.” Signing this bill would cause more Kansas families to go bankrupt over medical bills. If the Legislature wants to get serious about improving access to health care, they should join 38 other states and the District of Columbia and pass Medicaid expansion.
“Therefore, under Article 2, Section 14(a) of the Constitution, I hereby veto Senate Bill 29.”
Martha Ann Callow, age 93, a resident of Ft. Scott, Kansas, passed away Wednesday, May 19, 2021, at the Via Christi Hospital in Pittsburg, Kansas.
She was born April 11, 1928, the daughter of William Everett Beetner and Alberta Martha Shoemaker Beetner.
Martha Ann graduated from the Fort Scott High School with the Class of 1945 and went on to graduate from the Fort Scott Junior College in 1946.
Prior to her marriage, she taught at a rural grade school and later worked at Montgomery Ward.
She married Lloyd Callow on October 3, 1948. They settled on their farm in the Hiattville area and remained there their entire married life. She was a long-time member of the Hiattville United Methodist Church where she served as a Sunday school teacher for over twenty-five years. She was also active with the Hiattville 4-H Club and served as a project leader for many years as well.
Survivors include two daughters, Ann Ludlum (Joe), of Uniontown, Kansas and Linda Biles (Rick), of Wichita, Kansas; four grandchildren, Kelli Ludlum of Lawrence, Kansas, Beth Ludlum (Mark Fleury) of Washington, DC, William Biles (Morgan) of Manhattan, Kansas and Elizabeth Wingo (Andy) of Wichita, Kansas and two great-grandchildren, Linden and Jude Fleury. Martha Ann was preceded in death by her husband, Lloyd, on July 28, 2012.
Rev. Carl Ellis will conduct funeral services at 11:00 A.M. Monday, May 24th at the Cheney Witt Chapel.
Burial will follow in the Evergreen Cemetery. The family will receive friends on Monday from 10:00 A.M. until service time at the Cheney Witt Chapel.
Memorials are suggested to the Hiattville United Methodist Church or the FSCC School of Cosmetology 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.
Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas, 403 Woodland Hills Blvd.
The only FDA-authorizedvaccine for 12- to17-year-olds is now available at all Community Health Center locations by appointment. The Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine is a two-dose vaccine that is given 21 days apart.
Now, entire households can be immunized against COVID-19 where previously only adults are were immunized. The vaccinations make it easier for students to return to regular schooling in person, and removes issues to school reopening’s by reducing the threat of transmission in classrooms, and allows adolescents to safely attend summer camps, sleepovers and get-togethers with friends.
Parents or guardians can request a vaccine appointment for their child on the CHC/SEK website chcsek.org. Click the COVID Vaccine Request button. After selecting the “first dose” button, there is an option to select the Pfizer vaccine. CHC/SEK representatives will contact the recipients to schedule a date for the vaccine.
For those without web access, the health center has a toll-free number, 866-888-8650 and a second number for Spanish-speakers 620-240-8940 to make vaccination appointments.
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP)also has endorsed the Pfizer vaccine for the 12-and-up group — and agreed that it’s OK to give more than one vaccine at the same time, especially for children who are behind on their regular vaccinations.More than 3.78 million children have been infected with SARS-CoV-2cases and at least 303 have died,according to the AAP.
Vaccinating children helps shield others in the community from the virus, including people who are not protected by the vaccine, such as cancer patients and those with impaired immune responses.
Experts also believe the more persons who are vaccinated, the less likely the virus will mutate and continue to spread further.
As with all COVID-19 vaccines, there is no out-of-pocket costs to vaccine recipients.
Chamber Grand Opening & Ribbon Cutting Announced for the Fort Scott Barber Shop
The Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce invites members and guests to a Grand Opening and Ribbon Cutting to celebrate the opening of Fort Scott Barber Shop in the Downtown Historic District at 118 E. Wall St. The event will take place Tuesday, May 25th at 9 a.m. with remarks starting at 9:15 a.m. followed by the cutting of the ribbon. Coffee, juice, and light refreshments will be served in addition to door prize drawings.
The family-friendly Fort Scott Barber Shop is owned and operated by the Montanez Family who recently relocated to the community from the Kansas City area where they operated Jose’s Barber Shop, winning multiple awards including Best Barber Shop in the Midwest. They are known for their iconic cuts and their motto is “Looking Like a Movie Star”.
Contact the Chamber of Commerce at (620) 223-3566 for more information.
Governor Laura Kelly Signs Several Pieces of Bipartisan Legislation into Law
TOPEKA – Today, Governor Laura Kelly signed 3 pieces of bipartisan legislation into law.
“By expanding certain alcohol licenses and telemedicine opportunities, these bills will support our hospitality industry and continued economic recovery, along with the health and well-being of all Kansans,” said Governor Laura Kelly. “I’d like to thank my colleagues in the legislature, on both sides of the aisle, for their efforts to pass these bipartisan bills.”
Making amendments regarding licensure to sell alcoholic liquor and cereal malt beverages, authorizing transfers of bulk alcoholic liquor by certain licensees and authorizing the sale of alcoholic liquor and cereal malt beverages on specified days and times and subject to certain conditions by licensees under the Kansas liquor control act and the club and drinking establishment act.
Updating the national insurance commissioners credit for insurance reinsurance model law, codifying the national insurance commissioners credit for reinsurance model regulation and updating certain terms and definitions relating to the insurance holding company act, service contracts and surplus lines insurance. Eliminating certain requirements relating to the annual submittal of certain documents by out-of-state risk retention groups, extending the time frame to submit certain documents by professional employer organizations, abolishing the utilization review advisory committee and replacing it with URAC.
Requiring emergency medical services operators be overseen by medical directors or physicians; clarifying duties and functions of the state board of pharmacy; providing for confidentiality of investigations, inspections and audits; establishing fees on out-of-state facilities; defining telepharmacy and requiring the adoption of rules and regulations related thereto.
The price list for The U, a student-led business. Submitted graphic.
For the 2020-21 school year Uniontown High School participated in Project-Based Learning.
Project-Based Learning (PBL) is a teaching method in which students learn by actively engaging in real-world and personally meaningful projects, according to www.pblworks.org/what-is-pbl
Each UHS participating student chose a project that they presented to a board of teachers. The incentive: students got to opt-out of finals.
Uniontown High School Students Kristy Beene and Mason O’Brien, both juniors, decided to start a vinyl t-shirt business.
“They are custom-made shirts or a design that the customers choose,” Beene said.
“There was a lot of deciding that came with starting this business,” Beene said. “During the first semester of the 2020-21 school year, (we) decided that the best way to start this business was to fundraise the money in order to get the machines and supplies necessary.”
“We started this business in Mr. Feagins room, at UHS,” Beene said. “We chose him to…help us in the money and business itself.”
“One of the first orders of business was a name,” she said. “There were many names we considered but the one we chose was The U.”
“The first semester we raised the money needed through fundraisers and purchased a silhouette cameo and a heat press,”
Beene said. “By the end of the semester, we were starting to get up and going. At the start of the second semester, we added Skyler Coulter to our team as an extra hand for making shirts.”
Coulter is a sophomore.
Mason O’Brien, Skylar Coulter, and Kristy Beene hold a t-shirt with their vinyl imprint on it. Submitted photo.
“We have been staying busy with everyone’s support for our small business,” she said. “We have been so happy that we are able to make products that our customers love!”
This student-led business will be set up at Good Ol’Days in Fort Scott making custom shirts and water bottles.
“We hope that this will be a good aspect for our business and help us grow, both with customers and knowledge of the business industry itself,” Beene said. “Next year we hope to expand even more and invest in a screen printing machine.”
The 2021 Home, Sport, Farm, and Garden Show has something for everyone’s interest with 45 listed vendors with exhibits, games, and a chance to win prizes! Snacks, drinks, and food will be available for purchase. So bring the family, friends & guests because you don’t want to miss out on this event!
Stop by the Fort Scott Chamber Booth, to enter a chance to win Chamber Bucks!
ALSO ANNOUNCING
NEXT YEAR’S DATE!
SAVE THE DATE FOR THE
2022 HOME, SPORT, FARM & GARDEN SHOW ON
APRIL 8TH & 9TH, 2022!
IF YOU WOULD LIKE YOUR BUSINESS TO BE PART OF THIS ANNUAL EVENT, DON’T WAIT, SIGN UP NOW BY CALLING 620.223.4500.
