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Category Archives: Area News
Southwind Extension District Appreciation Award 2024: Southeast Kansas Area Agency on Aging

Submitted photo.
The Southwind Extension District is proud to recognize Southeast Kansas Area Agency on Aging (SEKAAA) for their outstanding support of the mission of K-State Research & Extension. SEKAAA has partnered with Southwind Extension District to implement evidence-based health programs that increase independence, balance, and state of mind. These organizations also work together to assist Medicare beneficiaries in navigating their health insurance decisions. The K-State Research and Extension Appreciation Award was authorized by Extension administrative staff in 1977. Its purpose is to honor a person, business or organization who has made outstanding contributions to extension programs in a county or district. The Southwind District Extension board and agents want to express their sincere gratitude to Southeast Kansas Area Agency on Aging for their support and look forward to partnerships yet to come.
Stay Warm and Save Money: Tips to Lower Your Energy Bills this Winter
As the chill of winter sets in, Kansas Gas Service is dedicated to helping customers stay warm and save money. With a few no-cost or low-cost energy-saving tips, families can reduce their energy use without sacrificing comfort.
“Making small adjustments to save on energy consumption is easier than customers think. With simple tips and tools, Kansans can use less energy, which lowers bills and keeps more money in their pockets,” said Sean Postlethwait, vice president of Operations at Kansas Gas Service.
5 Easy Steps to Save Money and Energy This Winter
Customers can take these easy steps to reduce energy use and help manage their winter bills:
- Seal Air Leaks Around Doors and Windows: Apply weather-stripping or caulk to seal gaps and cracks around windows and doors to keep warm air in and cold air out.
- Reduce the Temperature on Your Water Heater: Set your water heater’s temperature to 120 degrees Fahrenheit or the “warm” setting.
- Change or Clean Filters: A clean filter on your furnace can lower your energy consumption by 5% to 15%.
- Install Foam Gaskets on Switches and Outlets: Electrical switches and outlets can account for up to 10% of your home’s energy loss.
- Change the Rotation of Ceiling Fans: Hot air rises, so reverse your ceiling fans to a clockwise rotation to push warm air downward.
Applying these tips can help reduce energy consumption and lower your utility bills while keeping your home comfortable during the winter months. For more information, visit kansasgasservice.com/energytips.
About Kansas Gas Service
Kansas Gas Service provides a reliable and affordable energy choice to more than 648,000 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 and YouTube.
Care To Share Has Moved To Downtown Fort Scott



Southwind District 4-H Livestock Judging Team Earns Reserve Champion Honors at American Royal

The SEK Library Newsletter October 2024
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CATO CELEBRATES ITS PIONEER HISTORY WITH CATO DAYS Oct. 26
CATO CELEBRATES ITS PIONEER HISTORY WITH CATO DAYS
The annual Cato Days will be presented by the Cato Historical Preservation Association on Saturday, October 26th from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Admission is free.
The annual Cato Days will be held on Saturday, October 26th from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in Cato, Kansas. This free event is presented by the Cato Historical Preservation Association to promote Cato’s pioneer history, and starts with registration at 9 a.m. This will be followed at 9:30 by music, and history presented by Matt Wells in the historic Cato Christian Church. At 10:45, in the “Old Stone School,” Anna Portwood Swank, Elizabeth Portwood Thompson, and Jamie Thompson will talk about the school, followed by Jerry Lomshek who will discuss Cato’s early history, and its involvement in Bleeding Kansas, and the Civil War. Musical entertainment will be presented outdoors at 12 noon, when drinks and “Cowboy Stew,” cooked by Shawn Pryer and friends, will be available. Shawn will demonstrate chuck wagon and Dutch oven cooking. At 12:45 there will be a raffle for a beautiful quilt donated by longtime member, Sue James of Texas. The highlight of the event begins at 1 p.m. with a hayrack wagon ride, led by Joe Bournoville, to various local historical sites. The ride will visit the site of the Buckhorn Tavern, a popular stop on the stage coach line from Fort Scott, the Coonrod Cemetery, which is the resting place of many Cato area pioneers, and finally, the site of the birthplace of Elisha Black, Jr., the first baby born to settlers in Crawford County. The hayrack ride, and Cato Days ends at 3 p.m. All times are approximate.
Booklets about the history of Cato, and the newly released booklet about the Cherokee Neutral Land (present day Crawford and Cherokee Counties) will be available for sale. The Cato Store will also be selling other Cato-related merchandise, including t-shirts, sweatshirts, hats, and more. All proceeds from the quilt raffle, “Cowboy Stew,” booklets, and merchandise go to the preservation of Cato’s historic buildings, and for history related educational activities. Local fourth and fifth graders will have their own Cato Day on Thursday, October 24th.
Cato is in the northern part of Crawford County off Hwy 69. From Hwy 69, turn west on 720th Avenue, and follow the signs to Cato. Directions can be found at http://catoschool.com/ . The Cato Historical Preservation Association is a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving the buildings, and history of Cato, and the surrounding areas. These buildings include the “Old Stone School,” built in 1869, the Cato Christian Church, built in 1915, and a full-sized replica of a cabin the early settlers would have used in the 1860s. A stone bridge, part of the “Old Wagon Road,” can also be seen on the property. Cato is an open-air museum and its buildings are only open to the public a few times a year, so don’t miss this unique opportunity to spend an afternoon of entertainment and enlightenment in historic Cato.
The Cato Historical Preservation Association is a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving the buildings and past of Cato, and surrounding areas.
Heartland Awards:$615k for Electric Grid Resilience Project

Heartland Rural Electric Cooperative members in Linn County and surrounding areas will soon benefit from enhancements to electric power grid resilience thanks to state and federal awards totaling more than $615,000, according to a press release from HREC.
Heartland’s Project RESTORE (Resiliency Enhancements to Strategically Transfer Optimized Reliable Energy) involves the installation of 10 remote-controlled reclosers to allow for speedy rerouting of power along existing lines to bring Linn County members back online within minutes rather than hours in the event of a substation outage, according to the press release.
By replacing hydraulic reclosers with remotely operated electronic reclosers, Heartland staff will be able to reroute power much more quickly, greatly reducing the time consumer members are out of power due to power supply interruptions. The project will allow Heartland staff to remotely reroute power between a total of 10 substations.
Heartland will receive $414,627 in federal funding for the project through the U.S. Department of Energy’s Grid Resilience Grant Program, and an additional $200,403 from the Build Kansas Fund, which was established by the Kansas Legislature to help Kansas organizations meet the matching fund requirements for federal infrastructure grants, according to the press release.
While the project was designed to address needs specific to Linn County, members in adjoining counties served by the affected substations will also benefit from these grid enhancements.
Heartland Chief Executive Officer Mark Scheibe said few electric distribution utilities serving rural areas would consider this type of project because of the cost and the technical knowledge required to make it work. As a result, already underserved areas miss out on technology that could substantially reduce outages.
“Our goal is for Project RESTORE to serve as a model for other rural providers to follow as they work toward improving grid resilience,” Scheibe said.
Project RESTORE was one of 11 projects selected for a total of nearly $17 million in funding through the DOE grid resilience program and the Build Kansas Fund.
About Heartland Rural Electric Cooperative, Inc.
Heartland Rural Electric Cooperative, Inc. powers rural lifestyles throughout more than 11,000 locations in eastern Kansas. Heartland’s service area includes consumer-members in 12 counties, including Allen, Anderson, Bourbon, Cherokee, Coffey, Crawford, Labette, Linn, Miami, Neosho, Wilson, and Woodson.
Heartland REC traces its roots back to three original rural electric cooperatives: Cooperative Electric Power & Light Company, Sugar Valley Electric Cooperative Association, and Sekan Electric Cooperative Association. Cooperative Electric Power & Light Company joined with Sugar Valley in 1975 to form United Electric Cooperative; United Electric Cooperative joined with Sekan Electric Cooperative Association in 1996 to form Heartland.
Foundation Hosts Chamber Coffee on Oct. 17
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Kansas Infrastructure Investment Annnounced
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Senior Digital Literacy Initiative Launches
Fall Family Fun Activities Starting Oct. 5 at Rinehart Christian Church

“The reason for the corn maze is to give area people a fun day for the family and to let them know Rinehart is a church that cares about them,” said Pastor Kevin Moyer.
“This is the 5th year for us to have the maze,” he said. ” It grows each year in numbers, and people come and stay for hours. It really is a family event, and people can’t get over the fact that it’s free. Even the lunch is free! It’s our gift to the community. Our people volunteer their time for three Saturdays in October.”
‘If you look at the maze from high above you’ll see the full design, the Lion of Judah,” he said.
The Lion of Judah is mentioned in the scripture Revelation 5:5.
Rinehart Christian Church’s mission is to love God, live like Jesus, and lift others up, he said.