
Category Archives: Area News
8 Tips to Protect Your Family, Community and Wallet

Kansas Gas Service is encouraging safe digging on 811 Day
Ahead of 811 Day, recognized on Aug. 11, Kansas Gas Service encourages everyone planning any outdoor projects to consider how to dig safely before they begin.
Kansas law requires residents to call 811 or submit a request online at Kansas811.com before starting any digging project to help protect themselves, their property and their community. Kansas Gas Service highlights 8 safe digging tips, 1 important reminder and 1 essential number to call—not just on Aug. 11, but all year long.
8 Safe Digging Tips and Reasons to Call 811
- Plan ahead. Gather all the details of your property and project and call 811 or submit a request online at least two business days ahead of when you plan to start digging.
- Safety first. You may not think you need to contact 811 – but you probably do. For digging projects big or small, from installing a mailbox to building a deck or planting a tree, contact 811 to be safe.
- Be a good neighbor. No one wants to lose service – especially in the August heat. Hitting a buried line in your yard could wipe out service for your entire neighborhood. Contact 811 and be patient until the utilities crews arrive to mark your project area with colored flags or paint.
- Keep pets inside. They may want to say hello to utility crews marking lines outside, but it’s safest for everyone if they stay secure indoors.
- Color match. Understand what the different colors of flags or paint in your yard mean. For example, natural gas lines are marked with yellow flags. Learn more here.
- Leave flags alone. It’s best to leave the flags in place throughout your digging project to be sure you don’t accidentally hit any lines.
- Dig carefully. Make sure to dig at least 24 inches away from the flags in order to avoid inadvertently hitting a line. This is called the “tolerance zone.”
- Start with peace of mind. By contacting 811 and knowing where the lines are buried in your yard, you can rest assured that you’ve done what’s necessary to start your project on the right foot and keep everyone safe.
One Takeaway, One Number to Call
Safety is always the top priority. No matter the size of your project, failing to contact 811 can lead to serious injury if you hit a buried line, service disruptions and legal consequences for breaking the law. It can also cause delays or require repairs to your home project—unexpected costs that can add up quickly. Using the free 811 service helps keep you safe, your project on track and your wallet protected.
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.
NRMC Welcomes New Family Practice with OB Physician
Nevada Regional Medical Center (NRMC) is pleased to announce the addition of Dr. KayeLinda Heiner to our team of physicians. Dr. Heiner completed her Obstetrics fellowship in Memphis, TN. She is board certified in Family Medicine specializing in Obstetrics.
Dr. Heiner can provide care from newborn to adults, including:
- Acute or Chronic Illness
- Blood Pressure Management
- Diabetes Management
- Maternal Care
- Newborn & Well Child Exams
- Pregnancy Related Medical Issues
- Routine & Well Women Exams
- School & Sports Physicals
Dr. Heiner’s office is located within Nevada Medical Clinic, 900 S Adams. She is accepting new patients. Appointments can be made by calling 417-667-6015.
###
About Nevada Regional Medical Center
NRMC is a 71-bed acute, intensive and skilled care hospital providing comprehensive health care services. Staff represent more than a dozen medical specialties including ear, nose & throat, family practice, general surgery, gynecology, internal medicine, orthopedics, pain management, pediatrics, psychiatry and wound care services. Additionally, consultation clinics are held regularly by specialists in cardiology, dermatology, neurology, podiatry, pulmonology and urology.
NRMC is centrally located between Kansas City and Joplin along the I-49 corridor.
Freeman Wins Multi-Disciplinary Quality Improvement Award
Improving Patient Outcomes Across Multiple Clinical Specialties
Joplin, MO. – Freeman Health System has received the American Heart Association’s Commitment to Quality award for achieving high performance across three or more clinical areas in the Get With The Guidelines® program.
This is the first year for this special award level. Only 158 hospitals in the nation met the criteria for this award; hospitals earning this new award demonstrate a comprehensive approach to quality improvement. By participating in three or more Get With The Guidelines programs, they commit to using real-time data registries, evidence-based protocols and cross-disciplinary teamwork to raise the standard of care across multiple specialties.
“Freeman has an unwavering commitment to excellence that is exemplified through the active participation in the Get With The Guidelines Quality Registry,” said Paige Moschner, Service Line Director for Freeman’s Cardiac and Vascular Services. “By embracing evidence-based care and continuous improvement, Freeman is not only elevating cardiovascular outcomes but also setting a standard for compassionate, high-quality care in our community.”
Get With The Guidelines is the American Heart Association’s hospital-based quality improvement initiative that helps ensure patients are treated in accordance with the most up-to-date, research-based guidelines. Participating hospitals benefit from tools, resources and peer benchmarking to drive better patient outcomes.
“This award highlights the impressive commitment Freeman Health System has made to improving care across multiple disciplines,” said Donald Lloyd-Jones, past volunteer president of the American Heart Association and current volunteer chair of the Association’s Quality Oversight Committee. “By taking a systems-level approach to quality, these hospitals are building a foundation for better outcomes, fewer complications, and stronger communities.”
###
Southeast Kansas Library System July 2025 Newsletter: New Book Selections
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Judge Lori Bolton Fleming to be sworn in as Kansas Court of Appeals Judge July 30
|
|
|
SEKAAA Awarded Grant For 60+ Nutrition Program
Southeast Kansas Area Agency on Aging announces they have been awarded a grant from the Community Foundation of Southeast Kansas for its 60+ Nutrition Program.
“In the last year, we have added two meal sites where people can get a tasty, healthy meal and visit with friends. Since 2022, the attendance at meal sites has doubled”, says Stacy Dickerhoof, Associate Director, “this is giving us the good problem of needing more utensils, glasses, and bowls to serve the food. We appreciate the Community Foundation supporting our seniors.”
Sometimes called Meals on Wheels, 60+ Nutrition serves a 9-county area and is a combination of home delivery, congregate meals sites, and restaurants.
The purpose of the program is to promote the general health and well-being of older Kansans. Participants are asked to provide a donation, but inability to donate does not prevent anyone from receiving a meal.
“Our seniors really enjoy having a place to go have a meal and see friends.”, says Tabitha Torres, Nutrition Coordinator. Sixty-three percent of SEKAAA 60+ Nutrition program participants report they eat alone most of the time. The National Institute on Aging has identified that social isolation increases health risk, such as high blood pressure, depression, and cognitive decline. “The meal is important, but we have found that participants find getting together with friends is just as important,” reports Torres.
For more information on SEKAAA 60+ Nutrition Program, please visit www.sekaaa.com or call 620-431-2980 for more information.
Largest electric vehicle (EV) battery manufacturing plant in the U.S. opens in DeSoto
Governor Kelly Celebrates Grand Opening of Panasonic EV Battery Manufacturing Facility
in De Soto
TOPEKA – Governor Laura Kelly and Lieutenant Governor and Secretary of Commerce David Toland along with many federal and state dignitaries today celebrated with Panasonic Energy the grand opening of the largest electric vehicle (EV) battery manufacturing plant in the United States. Panasonic is investing $4 billion and already has hired approximately 1,000 staff at the De Soto plant.
“Panasonic’s state-of-the-art EV battery plant marks a bright new era in Kansas,” Governor Laura Kelly said. “The monumental effort that has gone into every aspect of this project has culminated in this historic day as the plant begins mass production of EV batteries. It’s hard to overstate what Panasonic’s investment means to Kansas and the value of the partnership that made it possible.”
The De Soto plant is the largest economic development project in company history — and Kansas history. An estimated $2.5 billion in new economic activity in Kansas will be generated annually by the project.
“The opening of our Kansas factory marks a major milestone in our journey to scale advanced battery production in the United States,” Panasonic Energy CEO Kazuo Tadanobu said. “This achievement would not have been possible without the strong support of our local partners and the State of Kansas. Together, we are accelerating the shift to electrification, reinforcing regional supply chains, and nurturing the next generation of battery talent. This facility represents not only our commitment to the region but also a foundation for long-term collaboration and innovation in the U.S.”
The project is expected to create up to 4,000 new jobs and significantly boost the regional and state economy, supporting an estimated 4,000 additional jobs created by suppliers and community businesses and 16,500 construction jobs, as cited in an independent Wichita State University economic impact study.
“Kansas leaders did the equivalent of kicking down doors and leaping over tall buildings to win this $4 billion investment by Panasonic,” Lieutenant Governor and Secretary of Commerce David Toland said. “This is a once-in-a-generation move that will power our economy, support thousands of Kansas families and spark opportunity for decades to come. It’s bold. It’s historic. And all Kansans can feel pride today in seeing that our state can do big things again, and that our best days are ahead of us.”
The 300-acre manufacturing plant, which is opening almost three years to the date of the initial announcement, is located in De Soto’s Astra Enterprise Park. The state-of-the-art facility will operate and produce approximately 66 lithium-ion batteries per second. Its infrastructure is broken into two wings, with four battery lines on each wing. At the end of both wings, infrastructure is designed for shipping, packing, and sub-supply vendor spaces for Panasonic partners.
“Panasonic’s new state-of-the-art facility in De Soto is a milestone for our state and a testament to Kansas’ talented workforce and leadership in energy production and innovation,” U.S. Senator Jerry Moran said. “I commend the leadership of Panasonic for choosing the Sunflower State for its U.S. manufacturing site, creating thousands of quality jobs for Kansans and drawing new people to the Midwest. With this investment, we are continuing to make certain Kansas remains a place where the next generation – with their knowledge and talent – can stay and build a future.”
“The grand opening of the Panasonic plant is a huge milestone for De Soto and our entire community. This project shows what’s possible when local, state, and federal leaders work across the aisle to bring opportunity home,” Representative Sharice Davids (KS-03) said. “I’m proud to have helped make this happen — and even prouder of the long-term jobs, innovation, and economic growth it will bring to our community.”
###
CFSEK to Host Nonprofit Media Relations Workshop with Local News Outlets

It is always great to have your event, your project, or your media release featured in the local news outlets, but it can be challenging to write a release that is compelling and captures people’s attention. The Community Foundation of Southeast Kansas (CFSEK), in partnership with KOAM and The Morning Sun, will host a Nonprofit Media Relations Workshop to help educate nonprofits throughout Southeast Kansas about how to effectively write and submit a media release to news outlets that will capture attention, and promote exciting projects.
The workshop will feature a presentation from Brit Stack, KOAM News Director and Ron Womble, The Morning Sun News Editor, both speaking about creating effective media releases for their respective mediums, and how to streamline that workload.
“CFSEK always strives to provide helpful workshops and learning opportunities for our nonprofit partners,” said CFSEK Marketing Coordinator, Matthew Buck. “We think this workshop will be a great addition to our catalog of workshops for nonprofits in our area!”
The Nonprofit Media Relations Workshop will take place on Thursday, August 14th from 1:00-2:00 p.m. in the large conference room at Block 22 in downtown Pittsburg. There will be a recording of the workshop available online after the event. A short press conference to announce changes to CFSEK’s Match Day event will be held after the workshop. Registration to attend the workshop is available at SoutheastKansas.org/Seminar.
Learn How Recent Federal Bill Will Affect Families
Submitted by
Jessica Herrera Russell
Senior Communications Manager for Kansas Action For Children
Now that the “One Big, Beautiful Bill” has been passed and signed into law, advocacy groups like Kansas Action for Children are diving deeper into the provisions to understand exactly how everyday Kansans will be impacted. Join the KAC experts on Tuesday, July 15, at 11:30 a.m. (CT) to learn what the bill means for kids and families. After the briefing, KAC policy advisors will be available for questions.
REGISTER: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/uTupmf1VQROKaVvHCR29kw
Featuring:
- Emily Barnes, Education Policy Advisor, KAC
- Heather Braum, Senior Policy Advisor, KAC
- Dustin Hare, Economic Security Policy Advisor, KAC
- Nathan Kessler, Fiscal Policy Manager, KAC
During the call, we’ll cover what happened with Medicaid, SNAP, taxes, education, and more, including:
- How SNAP is in danger of ending in Kansas – if state lawmakers don’t choose to pay the required cost share
- Changes to child care tax credits
- Implications for the health care system
- Kansas kids losing access to the federal child tax credit
Nevada Blood Drive Is July 24

Tri-Valley Foundation Truck Raffle Winner Announced

25th Raffle Drawing Winner Announced
On Friday, June 20th, the Friends of Tri-Valley Foundation drew a winning ticket for their 25th Annual Truck Raffle Drawing. This year’s winner was Joe Love from Colorado. Joe is pictured above standing next to his 2025 Ford F150 Platinum Edition Truck. The Friends of Tri-Valley Foundation thank everyone who entered in this year’s raffle drawing. One thousand six hundred eighty-three tickets were sold. All funds raised from the raffle drawing go towards providing quality and affordable housing for persons with intellectual/developmental disabilities in Allen, Bourbon, Chautauqua, Elk, Greenwood, Neosho, Wilson, and Woodson counties in SE Kansas. Raffle License: RAF000005.
