All posts by Submitted Story

Area News, Sports

New Indoor Track and Field Meet in Pittsburg Jan. 12

Leave a comment

 

PITTSBURG, Kan. – A new event is coming to the Robert W. Plaster Center on Saturday, January 12. The Missouri Valley Border War Championship is open to all youths who participate in track and field. Even though it’s the first time the event will be held, it is expected to bring in 250 to 300 competitors. Locals are invited as well.

“All are eligible and welcome to participate,” said Dion Lewis, Youth Chair of the USA Track & Field Missouri Valley Association. “This meet is not age specific, it is open to all youth, open, and master level athletes. An athlete from any state can participate. Athletes can be unattached or with a track club.”

Mr. Lewis said the idea for the Border War came up during last year’s 2018 USATF Regional Championships, and Pittsburg’s indoor facility provided an ideal location.

“Pitt State University has a great venue and is a prime central location for most of the athletes who will be participating,” Lewis said. “We’ve hosted track meets at PSU in the past and we look forward to hosting many more in the future.”

“It’s always a great time to stay active and compete against the best of the best, sharpening your skills as the outdoor season quickly approaches,” Lewis said. “Track and Field is the fundamental to all sports, therefore; competing will help athletes with speed/agility during offseason competition for other sports.”

“There are a lot of appealing things to track and field. For one, it is the foundation of all athletic components (i.e. running, jumping, and throwing). Secondly, track and field has something for everyone. With the right attitude, anyone can excel in track and field. Lastly, track and field offers the most athletic scholarship opportunity. There are many other appealing factors but these are just a few.”

Registration is due Thursday, January 10 and is $24 for three (3) events, including relays. To register, visit http://mv.usatf.org/, and click on “Missouri Valley Border War Championships” in the list of Upcoming Events.

Bourbon County, K-State Extension

Get Ready for the Bagworm Invasion

Leave a comment
Krista Harding
District Extension Agent, Horticulture
Southwind Extension District
111 S. Butler
Erie, KS 66733
Office: 620-244-3826
Cell: 620-496-8786

 

Bagworms are a yearly pest in our area and can cause considerable damage. Most homeowners typically don’t get too concerned about bagworm control until they see large bags present on plants. By then it is too late and the damage is already done! Now is the time to get your treatment game plan ready.

Bagworms overwinter as eggs deposited in the female bags. From mid-May through mid-June, larvae hatch from the eggs and exit from the bottom opening of the old bag. Larvae begin constructing their miniature silk-lined bags immediately. Only after the bags have been completed do the larvae begin actual feeding activities. And as the larvae grow, so do their bags. By mid-to late August when feeding activities are complete, larvae firmly anchor their bags to the twigs and branches on which they were feeding.

Bagworms are most commonly found on eastern red cedar and junipers. However, bagworms can attack arborvitae, spruce and pine. Broadleaf trees, shrubs and ornamentals can also serve as a host to bagworms. After bagworms have defoliated a host plant, they are capable of migrating in search of additional food sources. They may attack the same species from which they came or a completely different species.

The damage caused by bagworm feeding can be minimal to severe. As larvae enter their later development stages, they require greater amounts of food. Sometimes in what seems to be just overnight, bagworms can completely defoliate a tree. Several successive years of heavy foliar feeding can result in the death a tree, especially with conifers.

There are two ways to control bagworms – cultural and chemical. Cultural practice is used by those who do not want to utilize insecticidal sprays to control bagworms. Instead, bagworms are eliminated by handpicking individual bags from plants. This is best done in the winter months when bags stand out against a trees background color. Keep in mind that a single missed bag could result in a thousand new bagworm larvae. Of course handpicking becomes impractical when a host is literally covered with bags or it is too tall to make handpicking possible.

Chemical control is most effective when larvae are in their early developmental stages. Generally, bagworm larvae will begin emerging from the overwintering bag by mid-to late May. Hatching does not happen overnight. Instead, hatching can continue for 4 to 5 weeks. Controls applied in late summer are often a waste of time and expense because the larvae are large, tough and may have stopped feeding. Now is the time to find the correct insecticide and get the sprayers out and ready for the job ahead.

For more information on bagworm control, please contact me at one of our Southwind Extension District office locations.

 

Obituary

Obituary of Kathleen Marshall

Leave a comment

Kathleen Denise Marshall, 55, of Fort Scott, passed away Saturday morning, December 29, 2018 at the Medicalodge Nursing Home. She was born January 13, 1963, in Fort Scott, Kansas, the daughter of Melvin Lee and Shirley Dean (McCallum) Ransier. She married James Marshall February 7, 1994, and he survives of the home.

In addition to her husband Jim, Kathy is also survived by her four children; Kayla Reeves of Fort Scott, Kamisha Bassett, also of Fort Scott, Lee Reeves, of Pleasanton, Kansas, and Kalie Eastwood, of Fort Scott; four brothers, Robert McCallum of Pleasanton, Kansas, David Ransier, also of Pleasanton, Kansas, Ernest Ransier, of Kansas City, Kansas, and Billy Ransier, of Fort Scott; two sisters, Charlene Wynn, of Fort Scott, and Carol Hiel, also of Fort Scott; and eight grandchildren, Dalton Reeves, Elijah Bassett, Makiya Reeves, Audrey Reeves, Xzavier Brown, Norah Bassett, Fenton Reeves, and Allie Reeves.

She was preceded in death by her parents, and a sister, Mary Jane Ransier.

Following cremation, memorial services will be at 2:00 p.m. Friday, January 4, 2019, at the Konantz-Cheney Funeral Home.

Interment will take place at a later date at the Trading Post Cemetery. Condolences may be submitted to the online guestbook at konantz-cheney.com.

Obituary

Obituary of Carolyn Franklin

1 Comment

Carolyn Blanche Franklin, 63, of Fort Scott, passed away Saturday evening, December 29, 2018 at Mercy Hospital in Joplin, Missouri. She was born April 11, 1955, in Fort Scott, Kansas, the daughter of James and LeOne Louise (McCreedy) Cullor. She married Richard Leon Franklin December 19, 1973 in Miami, Oklahoma. He preceded her in death March 20, 2009.

Carolyn is survived by her children, Jared Franklin, Josh Franklin, and Jessica Franklin, all of Fort Scott; a brother, James Cullor and wife Mary, of Woodland, California; a sister, Linda Cullor Smith and husband Bill, of Mission, Kansas; six grandchildren, Cameron, Courtland, Jayden, Tanis, Josiah, and Henley, and a great-grandchild on the way. In addition to her husband Richard, she was also preceded in death by her parents.

Funeral services are scheduled for 10:30 a.m. Saturday, January 5, 2019, at the Konantz-Cheney Funeral Home with burial following at the Memory Gardens Cemetery. The family will receive friends Friday evening January 4, 2019, from 7:00-8:00 p.m. at the funeral home. Memorial contributions may be made to the Carolyn Franklin Memorial Fund and may be left in the care of the Konantz-Cheney Funeral Home, 15 W. Wall Street, PO Box 309, Fort Scott, KS 66701. Condolences may be submitted to the online guestbook at konantz-cheney.com.

Government, Kansas

KDHE Looks At Accomplishments

Leave a comment

KDHE Looks Back at Accomplishments in 2018, Looks Forward to 2019

Areas include Public Health, Environment and Health Care Finance

 

TOPEKA – The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) is looking forward to 2019 and looking back at some of its accomplishments in 2018.

 

“We made great strides in a number of areas,” said Secretary Jeff Andersen. “KDHE’s Divisions of Public Health, Environment and Health Care Finance all had great achievements of which the citizens of Kansas can be proud. We look forward to continuing that work in the coming year.”

 

Some of the achievements at KDHE included:

 

Public Health

  • Launching the Maternal Mortality Review which includes a review committee focused on implementing a comprehensive review of maternal and pregnancy-associated mortality.
  • Helping to organize and lead the Governor’s Substance Use Disorder Task Force chaired by KDHE Chief Medical Officer Dr. Greg Lakin, presenting a series of proposals to the Governor to combat the opioid epidemic in 2019 and beyond.
  • Introducing the “Count the Kicks” stillbirth prevention initiative with over 326 expectant Kansas mothers having downloaded and used the free CTK app.
  • The KDHE Office of Vital Statistics making birth certificates available online with the PayIt app and opening its new office in Topeka with increased space for customers and a new registration system on the way in early 2019.

 

Environment

  • Coordinating its Dry Cleaner Remediation Program, connecting 209 homes to city water in the Haysville area and coordinating with the City of Haysville to complete the design and installation of 8.7 miles of new city water main.
  • Initiating its Private Well Water campaign, including an instructional video for homeowners to properly take a water sample for nitrates and total coliform, a webpage, a public service announcement, flyer and social media infographics.
  • Assisting in the aftermath of natural disasters including the tornadoes in Eureka and flooding in many counties across the state.
  • Monitoring our rivers, streams, lakes and ponds for harmful algal blooms.

 

Health Care Finance

  • Approval of the state’s 1115 waiver extension application granting the state of Kansas the authority to operate KanCare, the state’s managed care program.
  • Awarding a new MCO contract to Aetna and holding statewide KanCare education meetings to explain the changes that will occur in 2019.
  • Effective Jan. 1, 2019, handling training and quality at the KanCare Clearinghouse for Medicaid eligibility. Effective, July 1, 2019, the state will take over responsibilities for the processing of elderly and disabled applications.

“These are only a few of our accomplishments during 2018,” said Secretary Andersen. “In 2019 we look forward to building on these and all of the areas KDHE addresses to follow our mission to protect and improve the health and environment of all Kansans.”

Obituary

Obituary of Edward Byerly

Leave a comment

Edward Blair Byerley, 91, passed away peacefully on December 24, 2018, at Country Place Senior Living Center, Fort Scott, KS.

Ed was born in Mapleton, KS, on 20 April 1927. He was the only child of Blair D. “Sandy” Byerley and Myrtle P. Byerley (Brown). Ed graduated from Fulton H.S., KS, in 1945 and joined the U.S. Navy shortly thereafter.

Ed married Eva M. Byerley (White) on April 27, 1947. He worked his adult career for The Western Insurance Companies from September 1946 through 1986, supervising the computer room operations at the time of his retirement.

Ed and Eva moved from Fort Scott to Sun City West, AZ in the 1980s, where he enjoyed golf, bowling, and the warm weather.

Ed is survived by his wife, Eva, three sons, six grandchildren, and one great-grandchild.

There was cremation. Memorial services will be announced at a future day by the Cheney Witt Chapel with burial at Fort Scott National Cemetery.

Area News, Exercise

First Day Hike at Crawford State Park

Leave a comment

Begin the New Year connecting with the outdoors by taking a healthy hike at Crawford State Park.

Meet January 1 at 10 a.m. at the Beach Shelter.

Crawford State Park is located at 1 West Lake Road
Farlington, Kansas, just over the Bourbon County line off Highway 7 in Crawford County.
 
Crawford State Park can be reached at  620-362-3671.

Event website

The trail is moderate difficulty. Pets must be on a leash. Wear weather appropriate clothing, including water-resistant boots.

Contact/cancellation info: 620-362-3671. Tag #FirstDayHikes and #NoPlaceLikeKS.

Government, Kansas

Kansas Water Authority Approves 2019 Surplus Water Report

Leave a comment

Recently the Kansas Water Authority (KWA) met in Wichita for their December meeting. The KWA received updates on water priorities in the state but two main topics were the focus: 2019 Surplus Water Report and the Annual Report to the Governor and Legislature.

 

The KWA received updates on vital water projects and issues in the state including current interstate compacts, the Kansas Water Reservoir Protection Initiative, Harmful Algal Blooms as well as the Water Technology Farms.

The KWA approved the 2019 Surplus Water Report, and agreed to allow the Kansas Water Office to enter into Feasibility Cost Sharing Agreement with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for the Kansas River Reservoirs Flood and Sediment Study.

The KWA approved the 2019 Annual Report to the Governor and Legislature and they also heard a presentation regarding non-public household water wells. The host was American AgCredit and the lunch was sponsored by KITS and 96 Agri Sales.

 

The KWA is responsible for advising the Governor, Legislature and Director of the Kansas Water Office on water policy issues.

They also ensure that water policies and programs address the needs of all Kansans as well as serve as advisors of the Kansas Water Vision and Kansas Water Plan.

The KWA was established in 1981 and consists of 13 voting members who are appointed by the Governor or Legislative leadership. State agency directors serve as ex-officio members.

 

The next meeting will be in Topeka, Kansas in January. The KWA meetings are throughout the year and for additional information and other upcoming meetings, visit www.kwo.ks.gov.