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Category Archives: Area News
Grant Writing Workshop Offered in Pittsburg on April 19
The Community Foundation of Southeast Kansas (CFSEK) is offering a grant-writing workshop to Southeast Kansas area nonprofits! Mark your calendars for Tuesday, April 19 from 9:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. at the Foundry meeting room located within Block 22, 402 N. Broadway, Pittsburg, KS.
CFSEK is pleased to partner with the Center of Community Supports at Greenbush to offer this workshop at no cost to the SEK community.
Monica Murnan, director of Community Support Services as CCS, will share information on organizational readiness, proposal development, needs assessments, budgeting, and managing funded projects. Murnan has a 25-year history of successful grant writing and management in the areas of community-based services, health-care access, collaborative early-childhood projects, and education-based programs for kids and families.
In addition, CFSEK will share some information specific to Community Foundation of Southeast Kansas grantmaking.
Plan to attend to learn some “must do” and “please don’t” strategies along with some organizational tips for gaining funds for your important work! We hope you can join us for this opportunity to strengthen your grant-writing skills.
Register at https://southeastkansas.org/grant-writing-april-2022/. Space is limited and registration is filling quickly.
Contact CFSEK Program Coordinator Sherri Stephens with any questions at [email protected].
Submitted by
Sherri Stephens
Program Coordinator
Community Foundation of Southeast Kansas
New ‘Dig Heroes’ Encourage Kansans to Dig Safely

Kansas Gas Service April awareness campaign aims to increase calls to 811
April is National Safe Digging Month and Kansas
Gas Service is celebrating by introducing its team of “Dig Heroes.” The Dig Heroes’ purpose is
to help promote safe digging among Kansans – regardless of the type or size of digging project
they’re planning.
Kansans can become Dig Heroes by taking the Safe Digging Pledge at BeADigHeroKansas.com,
where they can share their commitment to always calling 811 before they dig and be entered to
win a $100 gift card.
Who Are the Dig Heroes?
The Dig Heroes are a group of superheroes who have taken the pledge to practice safe digging
no matter how big or small their digging project might be.
“The Dig Heroes are a fun new addition to our annual public awareness campaign, as they
encourage participation from all types of customers – from developers to homeowners and
gardeners, and of course, dog lovers,” said Dawn Tripp, manager of Public Relations for Kansas
Gas Service.
When someone digs in Kansas, whether planting a tree or digging the foundation of a skyscraper,
there is a high probability of an underground facility within the site. When customers make the
free call to 811 or visit Kansas811.com before digging, professional locators will mark
the underground facilities within the designated project area with flags and/or paint at no cost to
the home or business owner.
“Many people don’t remember to call 811 before planting a garden, removing trees, installing
sprinklers and other outdoor projects, but a quick call to 811 can prevent significant outages and
inconveniences to neighborhoods,” said Trey Pool, Manager of Public Awareness and Damage
Prevention for ONE Gas, parent company of Kansas Gas Service. “We hope to help change that
by raising awareness to call 811 before starting any projects that involve digging into the
ground.”
When to Call 811
Individuals should call 811 at least two full working days before starting their digging projects –
no matter how small – to make sure that all lines are protected and the chances of hitting a line
decrease.
3 Tips to Remember Before Digging
1. Even if you’re digging shallow, you need to call to have your lines marked.
2. If you hire a contractor, make sure they call 811 prior to digging.
3. Respect the Tolerance Zone, which is the area 24 inches from the outside edge of the pipe
in all horizontal directions. Within this zone, you should use reasonable care, such as
hand digging, vacuum excavation or similar safe excavation methods to avoid any
contact or damage to the line.
Learn more about the Dig Heroes, safe digging, and take the pledge at BeADigHeroKansas.com
for your chance to win a $100 gift card.
About Kansas Gas Service
Kansas Gas Service provides a reliable and affordable energy choice to more than 645,000 customers in Kansas and
is the largest natural gas distributor in the state, in terms of customers.
Headquartered in Overland Park, Kansas Gas Service is a division of ONE Gas, Inc. (NYSE: OGS), a 100–percent
regulated natural gas utility that trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “OGS.” ONE Gas is
included in the S&P MidCap 400 Index and is one of the largest natural gas utilities in the United States.
For more information and the latest news about Kansas Gas Service, visit kansasgasservice.com and follow its social
channels: @KansasGas, Facebook, Nextdoor, LinkedIn a
Area Churches come together to pack food for people in Ukraine

Seven area churches partnered together with IDES (International Disaster Emergency Services) to put meals together for people in Ukraine.
Those seven churches were Rinehart Christian Church, Walker Christian Church, Rich Hill Christian Church, Hume Christian Church, 1st Christian out of Nevada, and Community Christian out of Nevada, and Sheldon Christian Church.
“It was a great time of coming together with other believers in Jesus and working on a common goal/project,” said Kevin Moyers, Pastor at Rinehart Christian Church.

Friday evening, March 25th, a truck arrived at the Rinehart Church from Indianapolis and about 30 people helped unload the truck of all the food supplies. “We set up 10 lines (2 tables in each line) from which the food would be handled the next morning and put into bags,” Moyers said.

On Saturday, March 26th, approximately 120 people from those 7 churches gathered at 9 a.m. and for the next three hours were busy, packaging 53,280 meals.
“It’s hard to imagine how that is possible, but you would have had to see it to imagine it,” Moyers said. “The system that IDES has in place for this kind of service project is very efficient. And of course, it takes people who are willing to ‘stay at it.’ Older folks, younger folks, kids…everyone working together to the glory of God. This was actually a fun project to do!”

The food bags consisted of rice, soy, dried vegetables, and a bag of 21 essential vitamins and nutrients. When full, the bags were six servings, therefore six meals per bag. The recipient of the bag of food will add the contents to 1.5-2 liters of boiling water, and after cooking for 20 minutes there is enough food that will fill to overflowing a 2 qt. crockpot. IDES figures the cost of each meal at twenty-five cents. Figure the total cost of this project: $13,320. The seven churches partnered in coming up with that money.

“It was a really great event to be a part of,” Pastor Moyers said. “IDES has committed 1,000,000 meals to Ukraine, and we were so happy to be a part of that relief effort. We weren’t sure at first where the food was going to go, as this event has been in the planning stage for about nine months. IDES is a crisis relief ministry and they send help all over the world. When we were told on Saturday this shipment of food was going to Ukraine it was very exciting to our people.”
Prisoner Walks Away in Johnson County
KANSAS DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS RESIDENT ALEXIS WOLFGEHER #126758 WALKED AWAY FROM CONTRACT PLACEMENT IN JOHNSON COUNTY
TOPEKA, Kansas. – Kansas Department of Corrections (KDOC) Alexis Wolfgeher #126758 has been placed on escape status. KDOC Enforcement Apprehension & Investigation (EAI) Special Agents and local law enforcement are conducting a search for Ms. Wolfgeher.
Wolfgeher, a 23-year-old while female, has black hair currently dyed red, brown eyes, is 5 feet 2 inch tall and weighs 112 pounds.
Wolfgeher is currently serving a sentence for a conviction in Johnson County for possession of opiates. She is serving that sentence at the Johnson County Department of Corrections (JCDOC) Adult Residential Center (ARC) from which she walked away. Under an agreement between the KDOC and JCDOC, residents who have release plans that are appropriate to Johnson County are housed at the ARC to promote their successful reintegration back into the community.
Anyone with information on Wolfgeher can call EAI at 816-266-2102, JCDOC 913-715-6539, the Kansas Bureau of Investigation at (800) 572-7463 or local law enforcement at 911. Or contact EAI via email at [email protected]
The escape is currently being investigated. New information will be released as it becomes available.
Ascension Via Christi Wound Center receives Center of Distinction recognition

The Wound Center at Ascension Via Christi Hospital in Pittsburg has been recognized as a Healogics Center of Distinction based on its outstanding clinical and operational results in 2021 despite the
extraordinary circumstances presented by the pandemic.
To earn this recognition, centers must achieve or exceed a 92 percent patient satisfaction rate and 75 percent wound adjusted comprehensive healing rate and have an outlier rate of less than 16 percent; Pittsburg’s wound center numbers were 95 percent, 80 percent and 12 percent.
“I am so proud of the work this team does,” says Charlotte Russell, director of Physician Services, noting how well they work with each other on patients’ behalf. “In addition to being clinically proficient, they are all so kind and accommodating. They truly are a blessing to our Mission.”
Rachel Stevens, MD, serves as the wound center’s medical director and Tammie Caves as its clinical
program director.
To learn more about the Wound Center, call (620) 235-7522.
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About Ascension Via Christi
In Kansas, Ascension Via Christi operates seven hospitals and 75 other sites of care and employs nearly 6,400 associates. Across
the state, Ascension Via Christi provided nearly $89 million in community benefit and care of persons living in poverty in fiscal year
2021. Serving Kansas for more than 135 years, Ascension is a faith-based healthcare organization committed to delivering
compassionate, personalized care to all, with special attention to persons living in poverty and those most vulnerable. Ascension is
the leading non-profit and Catholic health system in the U.S., operating more than 2,600 sites of care – including 145 hospitals and
more than 40 senior living facilities – in 19 states and the District of Columbia. Visit www.ascension.org,
New Concept to Provide Staff for Local Businesses: MyShift
About the Creators
Bowman is a 2003 Fort Scott High School Graduate and 2007, Pittsburg State University Graduate with a Bachelor in Plastics Engineering.
He has 15 years of professional experience in plastics engineering and is currently the regional sales manager for Sepro Group, a robotics and automation manufacturer based in France.
He and his wife, Wendy Bowman, have four kids Luke, Lily, Nora, and Gage. His parents are John and Cindy Bowman, who own the NuGrille Restaurant.
His contact info: Phone 620-215-5250, Email [email protected]

Google Play-https://play.google.com/store/apps/details…
iOS-https://apps.apple.com/app/id1602791238
Web- https://web.myshiftapp.com/
Shuttle Offered to KSU to View the Parks Exhibition
One-Day Shuttle Trip to view the Gordon Parks: “Homeward to the Prairie I Come” & Doug Barrett: Find Your Voice Exhibition
Fort Scott-The Gordon Parks Museum has scheduled a one-day shuttle trip, for April 13, 2022 to the Parks exhibition, in the Marion Pelton Gallery at the Marianna Kistler Beach Museum of Art featuring photographs donated by Parks to Kansas State University in Manhattan, Kansas, in 1973.
We will also view the Doug Barrett: Find Your Voice, in the Archie and Dorothy Hyle Family Gallery. Barrett exemplifies Parks’ influence on contemporary artists. Barrett is a Manhattan-based photographer who makes personal connections with his subjects, especially with the harm they have suffered because of race-based stereotypes
The Shuttle Coach leaves at 8:30 a.m. on April 13, 2022 from The Gordon Parks Museum parking lot. Lunch will be on your own at 12 p.m. at restaurants within walking distance of the museum. The shuttle will arrive back at Fort Scott at 6:00 p.m.
Cost is $10 per person for the shuttle trip.
The admission to the museum is free. Enjoy the ride on an Executive Coach Shuttle with comfortable leg room. The registration deadline is Tuesday, April 12, 2022.
Tickets are available at The Gordon Parks Museum, on-line at https://www.gordonparkscenter.org/ or over the phone, at 620-223-2700 ext. 5850.
For more information about the events contact the Gordon Parks Museum by phone (620) – 223-2700, ext. 5850 or by email [email protected].
Second Annual Cattle Show At Bourbon County Fairgrounds March 19 Results

Submitted by Hannah Montee
The second annual Southeast Kansas Spring Classic was held at the Bourbon County Fairgrounds in Fort Scott, KS on Saturday, March 19, 2022. Kids from across Kansas, Missouri, Arkansas, and Oklahoma came out for a shot at winning banners, cash, and prizes.
This is a one-day cattle show featuring bulls, breeding heifers, market heifers, market steers, and a showmanship class for all ages.
This year there were 6 Bulls, 93 Breeding Heifers, 6 Market Heifers, 51 Market Steers, and 71 Showmanship entries (ages 7-18) + a peewee and adult class, for a total of 152 calves and 227 total entries. There were 18 total breeds represented between the bulls and heifers.
The show is hosted by Adam and Hannah Montee of Arma. They hosted the show for the first time last year to give kids another chance to showcase their animals. Plans are already underway for next year’s show.
A huge thank you is extended to the Bourbon County Fair Board for the use of the fairgrounds. Their support and help throughout the process is greatly appreciated.
The results of the show:
Bull show –
Champion Angus: Easton Newsome
Grand Overall: Adysin McCarley – Lim-Flex (Girard, KS)
Reserve Overall: Josie Wilkins – Maine-Angus (Lamar, AR)
Top 2 breeding heifers –
• Angus: Grand – Grant Ward || Reserve – Corbin Ellerman
• Balancer: Grand: Hadlee Ketcherside
• Charolais: Grand – Jaden Teter || Reserve – Kensi Reed
• Charolais Comp: Grand – Braelynn Reed || Reserve – Kristy Beene
• Chi: Grand – Stockton Scott || Reserve – Carmun Scott
• Commercial: Grand – Mayci Wilkins || Reserve – Addy Burns
• Hereford: Grand – Grant Ward || Reserve – Drew Ballard
• Limousine: Grand – Aliston McCarley || Reserve – Maddix Small
• Lim-Flex: Grand – Adysin McCarley || Reserve – Clara Farran
• Maine-Angus: Grand – Cassidy Barker || Reserve: Stockton Scott
• Maine-Anjou: Grand – Dexter Small || Reserve – TJ Mills
• Maintainers: Grand – Madison Mcgee || Reserve – Braxtyn Evenson
• Mini Hereford: Grand – Morgan Pattimore || Reserve: Jayson Peterson
• Red Angus: Grand – Lucas Bowling || Reserve – Greta Rosenhagen
• Shorthorn/Shorthorn Plus: Grand – Wyatt Fechter || Reserve – Kristin Penn
• Simmental: Grand – Ethan Kunkel || Reserve – Hayes Rickstrew
• % Simmental: Grand – Olivia Walrod || Reserve – Elsie Rickstrew
Breeding Heifers Final Drive Results –
Grand: Grant Ward (Angus)
Reserve: Cassidy Barker (Maine-Angus)
3rd: Corbin Ellerman (Angus)
4th: Olivia Walrod (% Simmental)
5th: Ethan Kunkel (Simmental)
Market heifers:
Grand: Mayci Wilkins (Lamar, AR)
Reserve: Wyatt Fetcher (Howard, KS)
Market Steer Final Drive Results –
Grand: Wyatt Collard (Class 9)
Reserve: Kyanna Lankton (Class 10)
3rd Overall: Wyatt Collard (Class 4)
4th Overall: Jarrett Birk (Class 5)
5th Overall: Halle Delk (Class 3)
Top 5 Senior showman –
Grand: Josie Wilkins (Lamar, AR)
Reserve: Kyanna Lankton (Le Roy, KS)
3rd: Corbin Ellerman (Atchison, KS)
4th: Lilly Parks (Emporia, KS)
5th: Clara Farran (El Dorado Spring, MO)
Top 5 Intermediate showman –
Grand: Elsie Rickstrew (Wamego, KS)
Reserve: Olivia Walrod (Bronaugh, MO)
3rd: Kennedi Hettinger (Drexel, MO)
4th: Jaylynn Birk (Yates Center, KS)
5th: Drew Ballard (Inman, KS)
Top 5 Junior showman –
Grand: Mayci Wilkins (Lamar, AR)
Reserve: Halle Delk (Harrison, AR)
3rd: Stockton Scott (Havana, KS)
4th: Braxtyn Evenson (Eureka, KS)
5th: Josephine Razey (Augusta, KS)
Results from our peewee and adult showmanship classes:
• Adult showmanship –
Grand: Austin Waltz
Reserve: Brook Falk
• Peewee showmanship –
Grand: Kash Hettinger
Tie for Reserve: Kane Stainbrook and Emery Mengarelli
Highly Pathogenic Bird Flu: Check Your Flocks

Highly pathogenic bird influenza has come to Kansas and families who have backyard birds should examine their flocks, according to both state and federal press releases.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service confirmed a highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in Franklin, Dickenson, and Sedgwick Counties recently according to recent press releases https://agriculture.ks.gov/news-events/news-releases/2022/03/12/usda-confirms-highly-pathogenic-avian-influenza-in-backyard-flock-in-kansas.
Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) is a contagious viral disease that can infect chickens, turkeys, and other birds.
The Kansas Department of Agriculture officials have quarantined the affected areas, and birds on the property are destroyed to prevent the spread of the disease.
All who are involved- from a small backyard chicken flock to a large commercial producer- should look at their flocks for signs of the flu.
“Coughing, sneezing, discharge around the eyes, lack of energy, not moving around, not making noise,” are some of the signs, Heather Lansdowne, Kansas Dept. of Agriculture Director of Communications said.
Other signs are decreased egg production and/or soft-shelled, misshapen eggs; incoordination; and diarrhea, according to the KDA press release. Avian influenza can also cause sudden death in birds even if they aren’t showing other symptoms.
If these symptoms are observed in your birds, immediately contact your veterinarian, according to a press release. If you don’t have a regular veterinarian, contact KDA’s Division of Animal Health office toll-free at 833-765-2006.
There are procedures intended to protect humans or animals against disease or harmful biological agents, which are called biosecurity measures that can be done to help stop the spread of the flu.
Find guidance on biosecurity on the KDA Division of Animal Health webpage at agriculture.ks.gov/AvianInfluenza. More biosecurity resources as well as updates on the current HPAI status nationwide can be found on the APHIS website at: https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ourfocus/animalhealth/animal-disease-information/avian/avian-influenza/2022-hpai.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the recent HPAI detections do not present an immediate public health concern. No human cases of these avian influenza viruses have been detected in the United States.
Proper handling and cooking of all poultry and eggs to an internal temperature of 165 ˚F are recommended as a general food safety precaution.
For more information about HPAI, including the current status of the confirmed cases in other states as well as more information about biosecurity for flocks, go to KDA’s avian influenza webpage at agriculture.ks.gov/AvianInfluenza or call KDA at 833-765-2006.
Basic Facts of HPAI
What is avian influenza?
• Avian influenza is a rapidly spreading viral disease that mainly affects birds.
Is it contagious, who is susceptible and how is it transmitted?
• Yes, it is contagious.
• Although rare, humans and other mammals can be vulnerable to the disease.
• The disease may spread through contact with infected birds or ingestion of infected food or water.
• Birds are the most susceptible animal.
• Exists naturally in wild birds.
What are the symptoms?
• Cough
• Sneezing
• Respiratory distress
• Decrease in egg production
• Sudden death
How do I avoid it or stop it from spreading?
• Notify veterinarian of any suspected disease.
• Stay informed about the health of neighboring birds.
• Do not move animals from farm to farm.
• Keep flock away from wild birds.
• Be sure your birds have no contact with contaminated birds.
• Isolate new birds.
• Restrict unauthorized people and vehicles from the farm
• Disinfect tires, equipment, and clothing going on and off the farm
• Quarantine contaminated areas and birds immediately
• Dispose of all dead birds properly
How is it treated?
• At this time there is no known treatment
Are there public health risks?
• Although rare, humans and other mammals can be vulnerable to the disease. If you have come in
contact with the disease and are showing symptoms, report it to your physician immediately
• There have been no reported cases due to consumption of infected, cooked meat.
How to Save Money at the Gas Pump
Those who would like to save money at the pump have some vehicle driving tips to help them reach that goal.
A call to AAA, Topeka, resulted in the following tips from Shawn Martin, AAA Retail Sales Associate with additional tips from Consumer Reports:
Drive the speed limit. “Your driving habits can play a significant role in fuel economy, according to a Consumer Reports story https://www.consumerreports.org/fuel-economy-efficiency/10-tips-to-get-the-most-out-of-a-tank-of-gas-a2642110189/. Consumer Reports measured gas mileage while driving at a steady 55, 65, and 75 mph in a Nissan Altima and Toyota RAV4. They found that reducing speed from 65 mph to 55 mph improved fuel economy by 6 mpg in the Altima and 8 mpg in the RAV4. The penalty of cruising at 75 mph, rather than 65 mph, was almost 7 mpg in the Altima and 6 mpg in the RAV4. Higher speeds exact a toll on fuel consumption. Another way to look at it: Speeding up from 55 to 75 mph is like moving from a compact car to a large SUV. Beyond fuel concerns, speeding is, of course, a safety risk.
No sudden acceleration. “Avoid hard acceleration and braking whenever possible. In our tests, frequent bursts of acceleration and braking reduced an older Toyota Camry’s mileage by 2 to 3 mpg. Once up to speed, maintain a steady pace, according to the web article. “The harder you accelerate, the more fuel you use. Unnecessary braking wastes the fuel you used to get up to speed. Drive smoothly and anticipate the movement of traffic. Smooth acceleration, cornering, and braking also extend the life of the engine, transmission, brakes, and tires.”
Check your tire pressure. Tires lose about 1 psi a month. Having tires with lower pressure than what is recommended on the doorjamb sticker can affect performance, tire longevity, and fuel economy.
Using air conditioning does consume gas. In mild weather, if you can get by without it, even if you open the windows, it will give incremental savings. But once it gets hot, having AC on to cool the cabin and lower humidity is a wise investment in your comfort and ability to stay alert while driving.
According to Consumer Reports, if in the market for a more fuel-efficient car, HERE are Consumer Reports vehicles with the best MPG.
- 2022 Honda Insight
- 2022 Toyota Prius
- 2022 Hyundai Ioniq
- 2022 Hyundai Elantra
- 2022 Toyota Corolla
- 2022 Honda Accord
- 2022 Toyota Camry
- 2022 Hyundai Sonata
- 2022 Kia Niro
- 2022 Toyota Avalon”
Free Grant Writing Training Offered April 19 In Pittsburg

The Community Foundation of Southeast Kansas (CFSEK) is offering a grant writing training workshop to SEK area non-profits which include 501 3c organizations as well as government, religious and educational institutions.
The training event will take place on Tuesday, April 19 from 9 to 10:30 a.m. at The Foundry meeting room, located in Block 22, 402 N. Broadway in Pittsburg.
CFSEK is partnering with The Center of Community Supports at Greenbush Education Service Center to offer this workshop at no cost to the SEK community, according to a press release from the community foundation.

“Grant writing is one of the services of our foundation,” Sherri Stephens, CFSEK Program Coordinator, said. “We hope this training of writing a grant proposal will make it easier.”
Monica Murnan, Greenbush Director of Community Support Services, will share information on organizational readiness, proposal development, needs assessments, budgeting, and managing funded projects.

Murnan has a 25-year history of successful grant writing and management in the areas of community-based services, health care access, collaborative early childhood projects, and education-based programs for kids and families, according to the press release.
CFSEK staff will share some CFSEK grant-specific information as well.
Learn some “must do” and “please don’t” strategies along with some organizational tips for gaining funds for your organization/entity’s work, according to the press release.
Email [email protected] with any questions.




