|
|||||||||||||||||
|
Category Archives: Area News
Viewers Choice Awards Voting Begins Toay
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Kansas Gas Service Reminds Large-Use Customers to Curb Usage
OVERLAND PARK, Kan. – Feb. 16, 2021 – With extreme cold weather producing historic lows and increased demand, Kansas Gas Service has directed large customers to reduce their usage to ‘plant protection mode’ (lowest possible usage that will keep pipes from freezing and avoid damage to equipment) to prevent outages in Kansas.
“We are planning for potential outages and putting measures in place to keep gas service to our customers and critical facilities,” said Sean Postlethwait, vice president of operations for Kansas Gas Service. “Our large commercial, industrial and transport customers play an important and pivotal role in helping the community avert a disruption in service.”
This curtailment does not apply to schools, hospitals, health care facilities, hotels or lodging facilities, grocery stores, universities, colleges, churches, public safety buildings, multi-family dwellings and apartments.
“Following our regulatory obligations under our curtailment plan, an initial critical step is to take measures to seek assistance from our large commercial and industrial and transport customers to help avoid disruptions,” said Postlethwait.
Customers are encouraged to visit KansasGasService.com/SevereCold for any company severe weather updates.
About Kansas Gas Service
Kansas Gas Service delivers safe, clean and reliable natural gas to more than 639,000 customers in 360 communities in Kansas. We are the largest natural gas distributor in the state, in terms of customers.
We are a division of ONE Gas, Inc. (NYSE: OGS), a stand-alone, 100 percent regulated, publicly traded 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, visit the websites at www.kansasgasservice.com or www.onegas.com
Bourbon County Coalition Virtual Meeting Tomorrow
Here is the link for the Bourbon County Coalition General Membership Zoom meeting tomorrow at noon.
My name is John Castellaw
and I’m the Outreach and Advocacy Coordinator for Thrive Allen County. To gain access to the meeting tomorrow (@ 12pm – 1pm) please click this link
You may be prompted to download the Zoom app. You’ll then join the meeting, and it should give you a message saying “The Host will let you in shortly.”
Pittsburg Youth Chorale Spring Enrollment Open
Area singers in 4th, 5th, and 6th grade are invited to join Pittsburg Youth Chorale, directed by MJ Harper.
The purpose of this vocal ensemble is to further grow vocal abilities, musical knowledge, and choral repertoire.
Performers will prepare music for community events and music festivals. COVID guidelines will be observed.
Rehearsals are Tuesdays from 6-7PM at First United Methodist Church, 415 N. Pine, Pittsburg, KS and begin February 23rd.
There is a fee of $25 per semester (Sept-Dec/Feb-May) to cover the cost of music.
Scholarships are available. To enroll, contact MJ Harper at 620-719-6633 or email [email protected], deadline
February 23rd.
Nevada Hospital Receives First COVID 19 Vaccines For Phase 1B
NRMC to Host Phase 1B Vaccine Clinics
Nevada Regional Medical Center (NRMC) has received their first shipment of COVID-19 vaccines for Phase 1B. Only individuals registered through waiting lists will be notified and scheduled for one of two upcoming mass vaccination clinics that will provide more than 500 individuals with their first dose of a two-part Moderna vaccine. Second doses will be given at follow-up clinics four weeks after the initial clinics. It is important to note that COVID-19 vaccination may only be done by appointment and walk-ins are not accepted.
As supplies continue to come in, NRMC will continue to reach out to those who have requested a vaccination. Anyone who believes they fall into one of the tiers in Phase 1B and wishes to be notified when an appointment for vaccination is available may call NRMC’s vaccine call center at (417) 448-2120 or visit the hospital’s website at www.nrmchealth.com to register online.
The vaccine call center is open 24/7 and staffed by live receptionists. In the interest of making scheduling as efficient as possible, NRMC requests that individuals register for the notification list only once as multiple requests are unnecessary and not helpful.
So who exactly is eligible right now? Here’s the breakdown:
Phase 1B – Tier 1: Protecting those who keep us safe and help during emergencies
• First Responders
• Non-Patient Facing Public Health Infrastructure
• Emergency Management and Public Works
• Emergency Services Sector
Phase 1B – Tier 2: Protecting those who are at increased risk for severe illness
• Anyone aged 65 and older
• Any adult with one or more of the following conditions: Cancer, Chronic Kidney Disease, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), Intellectual and/or developmental disabilities such as Down Syndrome, Heart Conditions (such as heart failure, coronary artery disease, or cardiomyopathies), Immunocompromised state from a solid organ transplant, Severe Obesity (BMI greater than 40), Pregnancy, Sickle Cell Disease, Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus
“Getting a vaccine to everyone that wants one is not going to be a fast process,” said NRMC Chief Executive Officer Steve Branstetter. “However, we are dedicated to not wasting any vaccine that we receive and ensuring the most efficient and safe vaccination process that we can for our community. We are as anxious as everyone else to start a new chapter in this story, where we defeat our antagonist, the virus.”
NRMC reminds readers to frequently check local media and the hospital’s Facebook page for updates on COVID-19 vaccines.
###
About Nevada Regional Medical Center
Serving a six-county area since 1937, Nevada Regional Medical Center is a 71-bed acute, intensive and skilled care hospital. Nevada Regional Medical Center has earned recognition as a respected regional medical center for its comprehensive health care services, skilled and caring employees and state-of-the-art medical technology. Staff represent more than a dozen medical specialties, including family practice, women’s services, neurology, urology, psychiatry, orthopedics, wound care services, and general, vascular, thoracic and oncological surgery. Additionally, consultation clinics are held regularly by specialists in oncology, pulmonology, podiatry, ear, nose, and throat and cardiology.
Free Cholesterol Screening In Nevada
NRMC to Offer Free Cholesterol Screening
Nevada Regional Medical Center (NRMC) announces it will host a free cholesterol screening sponsored by NRMC Foundation on Thursday, February 18 from 6 to 9 A.M. Registration is open to the public, but appointments are limited.
According to NRMC cardiologist, Dr. David Zuehlke, the two largest risk factors that can accelerate heart disease include tobacco use and diabetes. Other major risk factors include hypertension (or high blood pressure) and elevated cholesterol, followed by family history. Elevated cholesterol levels can be an indicator of heart disease while maintaining healthy cholesterol levels can lower chances of heart disease and stroke.
For men, typical symptoms of coronary artery disease or a heart attack include chest discomfort and pressure that radiates to the back, arm or neck, nausea, sweating, shortness of breath. However, for women, the symptoms can be confused with other mild illnesses.
“Women will often present with shortness of breath, abdominal pain with some nausea and fatigue,” Dr. Zuehlke said. “That’s what makes it difficult to diagnose women; these symptoms could be so many other things that coronary artery disease in women often gets missed.”
Dr. Zuehlke recommends that someone who experiences symptoms that go away with rest should visit a doctor as soon as possible to be evaluated. However, if someone is experiencing symptoms while at rest, or that are worsening, that person should call 9-1-1 for an ambulance. He does not advise driving oneself to the emergency room, or even being driven by someone else.
Persons with risk factors for heart disease can be proactive by visiting with a cardiologist or primary care provider before they experience symptoms and discover ways to prevent heart problems. The American Heart Association recommends all adults age 20 or older should have their cholesterol (and other risk factors) checked every four to six years and talk with a doctor to determine one’s risk for heart disease.
To register for the free cholesterol screening, visit www.nrmchealth.com or call (417) 448-3801.
###
About Nevada Regional Medical Center
Serving a six-county area since 1937, Nevada Regional Medical Center is a 71-bed acute, intensive and skilled care hospital. Nevada Regional Medical Center has earned recognition as a respected regional medical center for its comprehensive health care services, skilled and caring employees and state-of-the-art medical technology. Staff represent more than a dozen medical specialties, including family practice, women’s services, neurology, urology, psychiatry, orthopedics, wound care services, and general, vascular, thoracic and oncological surgery. Additionally, consultation clinics are held regularly by specialists in oncology, pulmonology, podiatry, ear, nose, and throat and cardiology.
Butterflies in the Emergency Room
Dr. Larry Seals holds a new piece of ultrasound equipment at Nevada Regional Medical Center.
Nevada Regional Medical Center (NRMC) has recently began utilizing new medical technology to provide point-of-care-ultrasound. For more than 50 years ultrasound technology has been based on the same hardware. Traditionally this involves large equipment.
Today, NRMC healthcare providers have the power of ultrasound in the palm of their hands with a compact ultrasound technology, called Butterfly IQ. The Butterfly allows physicians to convert a tablet or cell phone into a monitor for the ultrasound machine. This state-of-the-art technology has numerous advantages.
In the emergency room, the time savings is a significant benefit. Using the Butterfly allows for a Focused Assessment with Sonography for Trauma (FAST) exam and aid the quick location of veins for IV access.
If a patient presents with very low blood pressure, the doctor doesn’t have to send the patient off to radiology. Instead he can simply plug in the Butterfly to quickly examine the chest cavity and check the left ventricular function to see if it involves fluid around the heart or lungs.
Providers in many departments of NRMC are happy to utilize the new technology as well. Larry Seals, DO can use the device for prenatal exams. Steve Marquardt, CRNA, NSPM provides interventional pain management at NRMC. Prior to a surgery, Marquardt is often called upon to inject anesthesia into a specific nerve to numb the area of the body where the surgery will take place. With Butterfly, he will be able to pinpoint the precise nerve within seconds.
Use of the new device is expected to improve patient satisfaction by decreasing wait times for some ultrasound procedures. Most importantly, it will be readily available during a trauma, when life-saving minutes count, such as a suspected internal bleed or cardiac issue.
###
About Nevada Regional Medical Center
Serving a six-county area since 1937, Nevada Regional Medical Center is a 71-bed acute, intensive and skilled care hospital. Nevada Regional Medical Center has earned recognition as a respected regional medical center for its comprehensive health care services, skilled and caring employees and state-of-the-art medical technology. Staff represent more than a dozen medical specialties, including family practice, women’s services, neurology, urology, psychiatry, orthopedics, wound care services, and general, vascular, thoracic and oncological surgery. Additionally, consultation clinics are held regularly by specialists in oncology, pulmonology, podiatry, ear, nose, and throat and cardiology.
Ogallala Aquifer Depletion Discussion Feb. 24-25
Ogallala Aquifer Virtual Summit to Engage Stakeholders in Tackling Tough Questions
This event will be February 24-25, from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. (CST). Through panels and facilitated workshops, participants will discuss and identify actionable activities and priorities that could benefit producers, communities, and this critical groundwater resource.
At 8 a.m. (CST) on February 24 and 25, producers and other water management leaders will grab their coffee cups, fire up their devices, and wade into a series of highly interactive conversations designed to tackle several tough questions faced by communities that rely on the declining Ogallala aquifer resource. For example, what on-farm, district, or state-level decisions and policies could support shifts in water management to ensure future generations will be able to continue to farm and live in the Ogallala region? What can be done so that rural communities remain vital in parts of the region where aquifer depletion means irrigated agriculture will no longer serve as much of an economic backbone in coming years or decades?
This event is being led by the USDA-NIFA Ogallala Water Coordinated Agriculture Project (OWCAP) team, along with the Kansas Water Office, Texas A&M AgriLife, and the USDA-ARS supported Ogallala Aquifer Program, and support from individuals in all eight Ogallala states. Between the pandemic, an extended period of drought, and lower commodity prices, summit organizers wondered if producers and other water management leaders would be inclined to meet virtually. Together, they assessed that the value of this event, which encourages people to meet one another and exchange a wealth of practical and technical expertise, would not be diminished if held online. In fact, more than ever, having an opportunity to help people connect and hear from one another and from producers in particular on many important dimensions of the water-dependent future of this region, seemed right and necessary. This event will serve as the capstone outreach event for OWCAP, an interdisciplinary, collaborative research and outreach project underway since 2016 involving researchers from 9 institutions based in 6 of the 8 Ogallala states.
Topics covered during the summit will include updates on projects, new programs, activities and policies that were inspired at least in part due to an earlier 8-state Ogallala summit event held in Garden City, Kansas in April of 2018. Together, participants will share their expertise and identify opportunities and gaps requiring attention, resources, and expanded collaboration within and across state lines to benefit agriculture and the region’s communities.
“The increasing depletion of the Ogallala Aquifer is one of the most daunting water problems in America. Extending and restoring the life of this resource, and, in turn, the economies and livelihoods that depend on it, will require collaboration across a diverse range of water-focused stakeholders and entities,” said Connie Owen, Director of the Kansas Water Office. “This summit will provide a unique opportunity to foster and strengthen that collaboration. It will cover emerging innovations, research, and policies as well as help identify opportunities for working together across state lines to address the water-related challenges facing this region and its communities.”
Registration for the summit costs $40; the fee for producers and students attending the 2-day event is $20. Participants from each of the eight states overlying the Ogallala aquifer will be represented: South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Colorado, Wyoming, Oklahoma, New Mexico, and Texas. A detailed schedule of this event is available at https://www.ogallalawater.org/. Members of the media are invited to attend.
Nevada Hospital COVID-19 Vaccine Call Center
NRMC Launches Vaccine Call Center
In response to Missouri’s implementation of the COVID-19 vaccination priority Phase 1B, many have inquired to Nevada Regional Medical Center (NRMC) as to when and how they might schedule an appointment to be vaccinated. However, NRMC and most other approved vaccinators in Missouri face a similar challenge that they have yet to receive any phase 1B vaccine doses from the state.
Although individuals who qualify for Phase 1B vaccination may not be able to schedule an appointment at this time, they are able to request notification when it becomes available to them. For this purpose, NRMC has launched a vaccine information call center at (417) 448-2120. This line is answered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week by live receptionists. Individuals may also complete a form online to be added to the notification list at www.nrmchealth.com/vaccine. Questions about the vaccine may also be emailed to [email protected].
###
About Nevada Regional Medical Center
Serving a six-county area since 1937, Nevada Regional Medical Center is a 71-bed acute, intensive and skilled care hospital. Nevada Regional Medical Center has earned recognition as a respected regional medical center for its comprehensive health care services, skilled and caring employees and state-of-the-art medical technology. Staff represent more than a dozen medical specialties, including family practice, women’s services, neurology, urology, psychiatry, orthopedics, wound care services, and general, vascular, thoracic and oncological surgery. Additionally, consultation clinics are held regularly by specialists in oncology, pulmonology, podiatry, ear, nose, and throat and cardiology.
Nevada Hospital Provided 200 COVID-19 Vaccinations In the Last Week
January 12, 2021
Submitted by
Steve Branstetter, CEO
Nevada Regional Medical Center
As COVID-19 cases continue to impact our hospital, we are seeing hope in the first round of vaccines being administered throughout Missouri.
We are proud to share that over the last week, our Nevada Regional Medical Center team has provided more than 200 vaccinations to front-line health care workers who are among the first group eligible to receive the vaccines, in accordance with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines.
As our vaccine supply increases throughout the coming weeks and months, we will expand our vaccine operations to the community, as guided by the CDC and the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services. We will share a defined timeline as more information becomes available.
It will take time to vaccinate all members of our community. In the meantime, please continue to follow all safety precautions – wear a mask, practice physical distancing and hand hygiene.
We will keep you informed and updated as we learn more and prepare for each phase of vaccinations. There are many moving parts related to the supply and administration of the vaccine, so thank you for your patience and understanding as we strive to take care of our community.
Please share this message with your friends, family and others in the community who have questions or concerns about the vaccine. Up-to-date resources and information also are available for individuals on the state’s vaccine website MoStopsCOVID.com.
Please continue to send well wishes to our front-line caregivers as they take care of patients and families.
Sincerely,
Steve Branstetter, CEO
Nevada Regional Medical Center
Natalie Eberhard,Community Relations and Foundation Manager, said Kansans may get vaccines in Missouri as well.
DO’S AND DON’TS FOR PEOPLE
SEEKING THE COVID-19 VACCINE
What can I do to know more about the COVID-19 vaccine?
Research.
Check your doctor, local hospital, local pharmacy or local health department website or social media sites for vaccine availability information.
Be patient.
Know that vaccines only are available in limited quantities and that vaccinations for certain populations, especially health care providers and first responders, take precedence.
Know what vaccination phase you are in.
Missouri’s COVD-19 vaccination website can help you understand the roll-out process, which is risk-based.
Just show up.
Supply is limited. Unlike some other vaccinations, providers will not have vaccine available for the public — outside of those in the priority categories — until Phase 3 vaccination begins.
Kansas Archeology Training June 4-20 in Shawnee County
Kansas Archeology Training Program Field School
to Be Held in Shawnee County:
Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site
June 4-20, 2021
TOPEKA—The Kansas Historical Society and the Kansas Anthropological Association announced on Jan. 8 that the Kansas Archeology Training Program (KATP) will be held at Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site, in Topeka. The annual field school will partner with the park and the National Park Service’s Midwest Archeological Center (MWAC). The park includes the Monroe Elementary School and commemorates the 1954 U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to end the nation’s legal segregation. The landmark victory for civil rights in America helped to inspire the American Civil Rights Movement in the 1950s and 1960s. The national historic site is located where Monroe Elementary School was built in 1927 and the previous Monroe School was built in 1874. Both were intended as segregated schools for Black children, one of four in Topeka, until the 1954 court decision.
The goal of the 2021 KATP is to expand on knowledge of the school property from the early years when it was purchased by John Ritchie in 1855 and later when the current Monroe school was built. The field school will be an opportunity to explore some of the structures buried on the property that once stood near the earlier Monroe school. Little information in known regarding the preservation of these structures. Through the use of archeology it is hoped to gain a better understanding of those who lived in the Monroe school neighborhood. This project will help tell of the crucial time between the Civil War and the Civil Rights eras that had a profound impact on people’s lives throughout the nation. Visitors to this national site are often unaware or unable to understand the property’s broader history prior to the 1954 court decision. Research goals will be shaped by input from the National Park Service to help assist them in telling this story and to gain more understanding about the community that surrounded this school.
The annual KATP field school is an opportunity for the public to work alongside professional and avocational archeologists in finding and excavating archeological sites and processing the resulting artifacts in the lab. No experience is necessary—just a desire to learn. Volunteers can attend for a few days or the entire 17 days of the field school. Participants must be at least 12 years old and children aged 12-17 must be accompanied by a parent or responsible adult. Classroom courses on archeology are also offered and can be taken for college credit through Emporia State University for an additional fee. Artifacts found at the site will be processed in the archeology laboratory at the Kansas Historical Society.
The registration fee for members of the Kansas Historical Society and the Kansas Anthropological Association is $35 for standard participants, $25 for participants 65 or older, $15 for all students currently enrolled at a middle school, high school, or college. There is no fee for students enrolled for college credit through Emporia State University. The nonmember fee is $90.
Registration will be available online through kshs.org from April 1-June 1, 2021. Registration is limited based on activity on a day-by-day basis.
A full schedule of evening programs will be held in Topeka; admission to the programs is free and open to the public. A tentative schedule of programs will be posted online. Find more online at kshs.org/14622.
For more information contact Nikki Klarmann, [email protected]; 785-272-8681, ext. 266; kshs.org/katp.
**Due to the current public health crisis, the KATP field school is subject to cancellation. This decision will be made prior to the opening of registration on April 1, 2021.**