The Bourbon County Law Enforcement Center is nearly ready for inmates, Sheriff Bill Martin said Thursday.
The new center is located at 293 E. 20th Street, just east of Briggs Auto Dealership on Hwy. 69.
“Hopefully within a couple of weeks we’ll be moving in,” Martin said. “Some electrical issues are being addressed, which should fall under warranty work.”
The sheriff gave a tour of the new facility:
Mercy Clinic Sports Physical Dates Announced
Free- or reduced-cost physicals only offered on specific dates
Fort Scott, Kan (April 19, 2018) – School isn’t even out but Mercy Clinic physicians and providers are already gearing up for fall.
That’s because every May, Mercy Clinics set aside specific dates when middle school and high school students walk-in for a reduced-cost or free sports physical.
Mercy Clinic Fort Scott will offer $10 sports physicals in suite A of the clinic on Wednesday, May 2 from 4:30-6:30 p.m. No appointment is necessary and the $10 rate is available only on this date.
Mercy Clinic Linn County will hold the free annual sports physical clinic on Saturday, May 19 from 7 a.m. to noon at 11155 Tucker Rd. in Pleasanton. Sports physicals are free on this date only. Appointments can be scheduled by calling 913-352-8379 or toll-free at 877-336-3729.
In the case of the reduced-cost physicals, the $10 fee is donated back to the student’s school activity fund. In 2016, the clinic was able to donate $2,400 to local schools to help with equipment or supply purchases.
The Kansas State High School Activities Association requires students who plan to participate in extracurricular activities to have a current physical on file.
According to Mercy Clinic Fort Scott director Michelle Bruner, “The physicals ensure that the student is healthy to participate.
The students receive a thorough physical exam to be sure there are no signs of heart disease or other health-related issues that would cause problems playing sports and being physically active.”
Bruner added, “The clinic staff considers it a privilege to offer this service to students. By volunteering our time, we are able to pass the benefit right on to the schools in our service area.”
Amy Heitman never imagined she’d grow up to be a welder.
“I didn’t know anything about it,” she told the Fort Scott Chamber of Commerce weekly coffee attendees. “I took a welding course in high school, I grew to have a passion for it.”
Heitman started researching why there weren’t more women welders and found only two percent of welders are women, she said.
“In the war (World War II) women stepped in to do jobs,” she said. “When men came back, women were pushed back. In manufacturing now, it’s predicted there is a shortage of 400,000.”
“I’m a welder and I weigh 107 pounds,” Heitman said. And “I’m building water tanks.”
“We are still building this world, if we don’t have welders and manufacturers, where does that leave America? ”
“I’m encouraging people to step up to non-traditional spots,” she said. “I want to help women know they can step up.”
Heitman welds and fabricates the metal pieces in water tanks that the Niece Equipment builds, she said in a later interview.
“I do some of the internal plumbing on the piping,” she said.
The facility she works in is climate controlled: fans in the summer and heat in the winter.
Heitman said there are 40 employees at Niece and of those, approximately nine are welders.
The salary range for the welding positions range from $15 to $19 per hours, she said.
Heitman, 25, and husband, Josh Heitman moved to Fort Scott from Austin, Texas in January 2018.
She worked for Niece Equipment in Austin and was recruited to Fort Scott.
They have two children, Gabriel and Ayden. Because it was in the middle of the school year, Ayden stayed behind in Austin with his grandmother temporarily. Ayden has autism.
“Because of his autism, I didn’t want to bring him yet, into something completely new…it would throw him off,” Heitman said.
Her first impression of Fort Scott: “I was enchanted,” she said.
“This is the kind of place I want to raise my kids,” she said.
“There is not a ton of things to do like in Austin, but so many things the whole community gets involved in. It’s a beautiful thing.”
Heitman got connected with Fort Scott Community College and together they are working on a plan to talk to high school students that tour the school, she said.
She is going to try to solve the issue of getting more people into non-traditional careers where they are needed.
Location changed for this year’s event
PARSONS, Kan. – Kansas State University will host its annual Beef Cattle and Forage Crops Field Day on Thursday, May 3. This year the event will be at the K-State Southeast Research and Extension Center, 25092 Ness Rd. in Parsons.
The day starts with registration, coffee and donuts and time to view sponsors’ displays at 8:30 a.m. Presentations begin at 9 a.m. Lunch will be served following the last presentation, compliments of several sponsoring companies.
This year’s topics and presenters include:
More information is available by calling 620-421-4826.
call or text to schedule an appointment
620-224-9433
The Bourbon County Sheriff’s Office is offering a $10,000 reward for any information that leads to the arrest and conviction of any person or persons responsible for the fire at Pearson’s Towing located at 1269 Highway 54 that occurred on March 21, 2018.
The Bourbon County Sheriff’s Office had 13 seized vehicles located on that property at the time of the fire. Once a vehicle is seized by the department during a drug related crime it then goes through the proper court proceedings and is awarded to the sheriff’s office by the Court. At that time the vehicle is auctioned off and the proceeds from the auction are used for the funding of the Bourbon County Sheriff’s Office K9 unit.
Anyone with any information about the March 21 fire can call the Kansas Crime-stoppers Hotline at
1-800KScrime or (1-800-572-7463) or http://firemarshal.ks.gov/arson.
When calling the hotline or email, please refer to case/incident number is 13718.
Fort Scott National Historic Site is looking for area high school students to apply for the United States Youth Conservation Corps (YCC) Crew Member positions for the summer.
Applications must be turned in by April 30 to the FSNHS.
Students must be at least 15 years old at the start of enrollment and not reach age 19 before completion.
“The Fort is looking to hire four high school students full-time, a 40-hour week from Tuesday through Saturday,” Tiffiny Durham, an employee of the fort, told the Fort Scott Chamber of Commerce Thursday at the weekly coffee.
Two males and two females will be hired through the Youth Corps, she said.
“Applications will be thrown into a lottery system,” she said.
The positions will help with different events at the fort.
The start date for the positions is June 18 and will end August 11, according to information provided by Durham. YCC members will be paid minimum wage.
Students will work together as a team to create projects, which will help develop leadership skills, according to the information provided.
In addition to the age restrictions, the following are required:
For more information contact Durham at 620-223-0310.
KOMB Radio will be hosting the Fort Scott Home Show starting tomorrow from 5 to 8 p.m. at Arnold Arena on the campus of Fort Scott Community College, 2108 S. Horton.
Approximately 60 vendors will be available to tell about their products and services, along with thousands of dollars of prizes and giveaways, Tim McKenney, owner of the radio station said.
McKenney stated the annual event is a collaboration between the radio station, the college, and the City of Fort Scott.
Managing diabetes can be a challenge, so having a health care provider near home who has an in-depth knowledge of the condition and specialized training is comforting.
Patty Ryan, Mercy RN, is also now a certified diabetes educator. With her guidance and expertise, patients at Mercy Hospital Fort Scott are better able to control diabetes – and that makes for a more active lifestyle with fewer visits to the doctor’s office.
“Throughout my career as a nurse, I have encountered so many people who were struggling with diabetes as well as with the long-term complications that are a risk of diabetes,” Ryan said. “I became a believer in the more you know, the better you can manage this condition.
“In my own family there are people affected by Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes,” added Ryan. “After an immediate family member was diagnosed, I found I wanted to pursue working in diabetes education. I feel that the greatest rewards are giving someone the ability to help themselves and live a healthier life.”
“In my role as a certified diabetic educator, I aim to educate and support those at risk for or diagnosed with diabetes.”
A certified diabetes educator is knowledgeable in prevention, prediabetes and diabetes management. To obtain this certification, a person must complete 1,000 hours of providing diabetes-related education, complete 15 continuing education hours, and apply to take and pass the CDE exam as well as having worked 2 years in a qualifying position. Re-certification is required every 5 years.
Ryan hosts a bi-monthly diabetes support group on Monday at 6 p.m. in McAuley Room C at Mercy Hospital Fort Scott located at 401 Woodland Hills Blvd. The group is open to the public. No reservation or pre-registration is required.
For more information about the diabetes support group, call Patty Ryan at 620-223-8412.
Mercy, named one of the top five large U.S. health systems in 2017 and 2016 by Truven, an IBM Watson Health company, serves millions annually. Mercy includes more than 40 acute care and specialty (heart, children’s, orthopedic and rehab) hospitals, 800 physician practices and outpatient facilities, 44,000 co-workers and 2,100 Mercy Clinic physicians in Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma. Mercy also has clinics, outpatient services and outreach ministries in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas. In addition, Mercy’s IT division, Mercy Technology Services, supply chain organization, ROi, and Mercy Virtual commercially serve providers and patients in more than 20 states coast to coast.
