Do you have an interest in gardening, but just don’t have the space? Would you like to plant beautiful pots full of flowers, but aren’t sure what plants work together? Learn how at the “Grow It – Prepare It” series, Container Gardening, on Thursday, April 27, at 6 p.m. at the Bourbon County Fairgrounds.
This program will cover the advantages and disadvantages of container gardening, which varieties of plants are designed for containers, and how to best arrange plants. Demonstrations will be given on how to arrange both flowers and vegetables into containers for maximum results. For more information on this program and to register, please contact the Southwind Extension District at 620-223- 3720.
Using Machinery
Submitted by: Carla Nemecek, Southwind Extension District, Director
Machinery represents an ever-present danger on the farm. While machines save valuable time and are essential to productivity, use of farm machinery is hazardous, making them the source of most injuries and deaths on American farms and ranches.
While manufacturers design and build safety features into their machines, hazards cannot be completely eliminated without interfering with function. Timely maintenance, responsible use, and comprehensive safety awareness training are ways farmers can protect themselves and others from injury or death when working with and around agricultural machinery.
The primary responsibility for machinery safety rests with the operator. Operators must be aware of potential hazards with the specific piece of machinery they are operating. Safe operators respect machines for the work they perform and the dangers they present. Use these eight simple steps to be a safe machinery operator.
1. Be aware. Recognize where and what the hazards are.
2. Be prepared. Replace worn parts promptly and do daily pre-operational checks. Include preseason checks. Take advantage of the off-season to do additional maintenance work. This gives you time to order any shields and other parts you may need. Anticipate problems.
3. Read the operator’s manual. The simple tips and precautions in this publication are no substitute for the operator’s manual for each piece of machinery. If the manual is missing, contact your dealer or check online to get another one.
4. Shield all moving parts. Make the machine as safe as possible.
5. Respect PTO and hydraulics. Remember that any machine that is powered by a power takeoff driveline (PTO) or has hydraulic systems is inherently dangerous.
6. Shut it off. Before servicing any machine, disengage the PTO, turn off the engine, remove the key, and wait for all parts to stop moving.
7. Watch yourself. Try to avoid particularly hazardous jobs if you’re physically ill or mentally distracted. Fatigue and stress cause many accidents.
8. Use a machine only for its intended purpose.
With more consistently warmer temperatures, farmers will be in the field and on the roads. Pay special attention to slow moving vehicles, as the machinery operator has limited visibility.
For more information about farm or machinery safety, please contact the Southwind Extension District, at southwind.ksu.edu.
The Fort Scott Community College Men’s Basketball Program will host the annual Pechone Stepps High School All-Star Game on Sunday, April 23, at Arnold Arena. The girls’ game will begin at 2 p.m. and the boys’ game will begin at 4 p.m.
“This event will feature some of the top athletes from the Southeast Kansas area, and some of those athletes are future Greyhounds,” said FSCC Head Men’s Basketball Coach Michael Cook.
The event is named after Pechone Stepps, who serves as a paraprofessional educator and head girls’ basketball coach at Fort Scott High School. When a drunk driver struck him in 2002, Stepps became paralyzed. Prior to the accident, he was an accomplished athlete and women’s basketball coach at St. John’s University in New York City.
“Pechone is a courageous individual, and he exemplifies what every young person should strive to be,” said Cook. “He is a great leader who mentors people of all ages and teaches everyone to live their lives to the fullest. I am very proud, not only to have the All-Star Game named after Pechone, but also to have him as a close friend.”
The Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce will be hosting a Job Fair on Thursday, April 20, 2017, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Ellis Fine Arts Center on the campus of Fort Scott Community College, 2108 S. Horton St.
Fort Scott employers currently registered to attend include the City of Fort Scott; Firstsource Solutions, Kansas Department for Children and Families; Medicalodges Fort Scott; Niece Products; Peerless Products; Sleep Inn & Suites Hotel; Tri-Valley Developmental Services. Elnicki, Inc. of Pittsburg is also registered as well as KANSASWORKS.
Positions employers will be hiring for are include those shown below:
City of Fort Scott: Full-time Waste Water Collections Maintenance, Part-Time Golf Course Clubhouse staff (must be 21), and Seasonal Parks Maintenance (must be 18)
Firstsource Solutions: Insurance Claims Examiners, Call Center Reps.
Medicalodges Fort Scott: Home health aide, CNA, CMA, RN and LPN; dietary aides, cooks
Niece Products: Painters, Welders, Mechanics
Sleep Inn & Suites Hotel: Front Desk 3-11pm, Breakfast Attendant for summer months, other part-time positions.
Tri-Valley Developmental Services: Help in the Residential Program working evening and/or overnight shifts.
Ward/Kraft, Inc.: Customer Service Rep., Sales Reps., Production Members
Elnicki, Inc.: Diesel Mechanic, Welders, CDL Drivers, Heavy Equipment Operators, Laborers. All local and home every night.
Job seekers are encouraged to dress for success, bring copies of a resume, and be prepared to connect with employers. Attendees may enter a drawing for a door prize of $50 in Chamber Bucks that may be used at over 40 Chamber member businesses. Contact the Chamber for more information on having an employer booth at 620-223- 3566 or email [email protected].
Fort Scott National Historic Site commemorates the Civil War and how it shaped our country by presenting the 35th Annual Civil War Encampment on Saturday and Sunday, April 22 and 23.
Experience the sights, sounds and smells of the times—soldiers marching or on horseback, rifles firing, gunpowder hanging in the air. A variety of interpretive programs will illustrate the role Fort Scott played as a major supply base for federal troops during this pivotal conflict.
The public is invited to participate beginning Saturday morning at 9 a.m. and concluding with the last program at 3 p.m. on Sunday as park volunteers engage in various activities. Union Cavalry, Infantry and Artillery units will perform military training representing how troops were prepared for battle. Witness the Grice family as they make tallow and lye soap as it was made in rural areas in the 1860s. On Saturday at 1 p.m., Diane Eickhoff, independent historian and author, presents the program “Women Soldiers of the Civil War.” At 6:30 p.m., you are invited to participate in popular Civil War tunes presented by the Holmes Brigade Minstrels. On Sunday at 10 a.m., come join in a period Church Service. Learn about the logistics of feeding soldiers with “Rolling in the Dough” Bake-house Demonstration at 11 a.m. Cavalry, Infantry and Artillery Demonstrations will continue in the afternoon.
The Civil War Encampment is made possible through the generous support provided by volunteer members of the Holmes Brigade, 4th Missouri Cavalry, Western Bluecoats Field Hospital, 3rd Kansas Artillery Battery B, Friends of Fort Scott NHS, Inc., and a host of Fort Scott National Historic Site volunteers.
The schedule of activities is as follows:
SATURDAY, APRIL 22
9:00 a.m. – Raising the Colors
10:00 a.m. – Cavalry Drill
11:00 a.m. – Infantry Drill and Weapons Demonstration
12:00 p.m. – Soap Making Program
1:00 p.m. – “Women Soldiers of the Civil War”
2:00 p.m. – Infantry Drill and Weapons Demonstration
3:00 p.m. – Artillery Drill and Weapons Demonstration
4:00 p.m. – Flag Retreat
6:30 p.m. – Civil War Music with the Holmes Brigade Minstrels
SUNDAY, APRIL 23
9:00 a.m. – Raising the Colors
10:00 a.m. – Church Service
11:00 a.m. – “Rolling in the Dough” – Bake House Demonstration
12:00 p.m. – Artillery Drill and Weapons Demonstration
1:00 p.m. – Cavalry Drill
2:00 p.m. – Infantry Drill and Weapons Demonstration
3:00 p.m. – Artillery Drill and Weapons Demonstration
Presentation Explores Women Who Fought in Civil War
Fort Scott National Historic Site, a unit of the National Park Service in Kansas, will host “Women Soldiers of the Civil War,” a presentation and discussion by Diane Eickhoff, on April 22, at 1 p.m. in the Grand Hall. Members of the community are invited to attend the free program. The program is made possible by the Kansas Humanities Council.
During the Civil War, hundreds of women cut their hair and donned men’s clothing to report for duty to Union and Confederate Army recruiters. Others served as scouts and spies or rode with their husbands and brothers in service. The presentation will explore how and why a fascinating group of women defied cultural norms to become soldiers, especially during a time when there was great emphasis on women’s and men’s separate roles in society.
Diane Eickhoff is an independent historian, writer and editor of education materials. Her most recent historical biography, Clarina Nichols: Frontier Crusader for Women’s Rights, is published by Quindaro Press.
“This program evolved out of a single slide that often brought an earlier Speakers Bureau talk of mine to a standstill,” said Eickhoff. “People are as fascinated as I was to learn how so many women were able to disguise themselves as men—and to learn about their different motives for entering the battlefield.”
“Women Soldiers of the Civil War” is part of the Kansas Humanities Council’s Kansas Stories Speakers Bureau, featuring presentations and discussions that examine our shared human experience—our innovations, culture, heritage and conflicts.
The Kansas Humanities Council conducts and supports community-based programs, serves as a financial resource through an active grant-making program, and encourages Kansans to engage in the civic and cultural life of their communities. For more information about KHC programs contact the Kansas Humanities Council at 785/357-0359 or visit online at www.kansashumanities.org.
For more information about “Women Soldiers of the Civil War” contact Fort Scott National Historic Site at 620-223- 0310 or visit www.nps.gov/fosc.
FSCC Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society Inducts New Students
The Fort Scott Community College Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society (Alpha Theta Omega Chapter) inducted 33 new students during a candle lighting ceremony on Friday, April 7, at the Danny & Willa Ellis Family Fine Arts Center.
Students inducted this semester include: Mariah Aebersold, Heather Bahr, Adam Biby, Thomas Boatwright, Taylor Brecheisen, Mataya Cook, Rilie Creollo, Leslie Damian, Jordyn Danzer, Dustin Erikson, Madison Gray, Justin Grigsby, Sirr Green, Tyler Henninger, Heather Huesman, Genna Hull, Sarah Kelley, Keyshla Laureano Perez, Cristin Lowry, Allie Martin, Lindsey McNeil, Nathan Miller, Rachel Newquist, Nguyen Hannah Pham, Erica Pinneo, Emmah Reeves, Alexandria Rooks, Carla Salas, Mason Skiles, Lauren Sluder, Kyle Smith, Kirstie Williams and Barrett Young.
“We are pleased to welcome our new Phi Theta Kappa members this spring,” said Susie Arvidson, FSCC Director of Library Services and Phi Theta Kappa Advisor. “Over the past year, the members and officers have worked diligently to grow the organization and in turn were very successful. We look forward to the coming year as we strive for excellence and growth as individuals and as a group.”
Phi Theta Kappa, an international honor society, recognizes the academic achievements of two-year college students. Students who have completed 12 credit hours and earned a 3.5 GPA or higher are invited to join Phi Theta Kappa. For more information, please call Susie Arvidson at 620-223-2700, ext. 3441.
Photo caption—Pictured from left to right: Nguyen Hannah Pham, Keyshla Laureano Perez, Heather Bahr, Genna Hull, Cristin Lowry, Lauren Sluder, Sarah Kelley, Jordyn Danzer, Rachel Newquist and Dustin Erikson.
FSCC Women’s Appreciation Luncheon slated for Apr. 26
Fort Scott Community College will host the annual Women’s Appreciation Luncheon 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesday, April 26, at the Danny & Willa Ellis Family Fine Arts Center.
The luncheon menu includes chicken salad croissant sandwiches, soup, salad, gourmet cookies and refreshments. In addition to lunch, the popular event will offer free gifts, door prizes, musical entertainment and product displays from local businesses. The event will showcase a variety of businesses including AdvoCare, All About That Xyng, Bids & Dibs, Black Dogs Farm, Custom Jewelry, FSCC Cosmetology (manicures), Gold Canyon, Hartman Spine and Joint, LipSense, Locust Hill Lamanchas, LuLaRoe, Mercy Hospital, Premier Designs Jewelry, Prüvit, Rodan + Fields, Taylor’s Lamps and Such, Thirty-One Gifts, Young Living Essential Oils, Younique and more.
Tickets are $6 per person. Attendees who purchase five tickets by April 25 will receive one ticket free. For more information or to reserve a seat, please call 620-223-2700.
This is the final week before the Kansas legislature adjourns for a three-week long break, during which the governor signs off on or vetoes the bills passed this session. We will return for veto session May 1.
Kansas House Fights for KPERS
On Thursday [April 7], the House and Senate passed Senate Sub for Sub HB 2052, a rescission bill that essentially fixed the budget for the current fiscal year. The current budget was in a deficit of $290 million. Fiscal year 2017 ends June 30.
The House stood its ground on this bill to ensure that the Kansas Public Employee Retirement System (KPERS) was fully funded through the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2017. The budget passed by the legislature and signed by the governor in 2016 had not made full payments to the retirement system.
As a result of the House position standing firm for working Kansans, an additional $86 million was appropriated to KPERS and payments will be made through the fourth quarter of FY 2017.
HB 2319: An act concerning abortion; relating to the woman’s-right-to-know act, relating to certain physician information to be disclosed.
HB 2391: An act concerning driving; relating to driving under the influence and other driving offenses; authorized restrictions of driving privileges, ignition interlock device; expungement of convictions and diversions.
SB 55: An act concerning public construction contracts; relating to performance and payment bonds; Kansas fairness in public construction.
SB 149: An act concerning the attorney general; relating to briefs in a criminal matter or post-conviction case in the supreme court or court of appeals; legal representation charges; legal services; creating the attorney general’s state agency representation fund.
HB 2360: An act concerning the administration of the state employee health benefits plan; creating the division of state employee health benefits plan in the department of administration.
H Sub for SB 70: An act concerning amusement rides; relating to the Kansas amusement ride act.
SB 184: An act establishing the Kansas intelligence fusion center act.
Sub HB 2230: An act concerning property taxation; relating to exemptions, property owned by a redevelopment authority and located in a redevelopment district within a former federal enclave.
HB 2279: An act concerning courts; relating to disposition of failure to comply with a traffic citation reinstatement fees; judicial branch nonjudicial salary adjustment fund.
I look forward to continuing to work for you and Kansas when we come back May 1. Until then, please take care. It is a special honor to serve as your state representative. I both value and need your input on the various issues facing state government. Please feel free to contact me with your comments and questions. My office address is Room 50-S, 300 SW 10th, Topeka, KS 66612. You can reach me at (785) 296-7698 or call the legislative hotline at 1-800-432-3924 to leave a message for me. Additionally, you can e-mail me at [email protected]. You can also follow the legislative session online at www.kslegislature.org.
The most expensive items in the produce section are berries. The cost of berries can be overcome by growing them yourself. Learn how at the second program of the “Grow It – Prepare It” series – Growing Berries, on Thursday, April 13, at 6 p.m. at the Bourbon County Fairgrounds.
This program will give homeowners tips on growing strawberries and blackberries. Planting techniques, fertility, pruning and harvesting will all be covered. For more information on this program and to register, please contact the Southwind Extension District at 620-223- 3720.
If you have wanted to lose weight, or maintain your current weight, consider joining Weight Watchers.
On Wednesday, April 12, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at Mercy Hospital Fort Scott’s Concetta Room, Weight Watchers will host a public open house.
No pre-registration or fee is required for this come-and-go event. Participants can sample Weight Watchers food, view products, learn more about the program, hear success stories and register to win door prizes. If someone likes what they see at the open house, they might consider joining the group.
Weight Watchers holds weekly meetings on Wednesdays at Mercy Hospital Fort Scott. Weight-ins are from 11:30 a.m. – noon, followed by a meeting from noon – 12:30 p.m. A Weight Watchers monthly pass is required to attend the ongoing meeting.
“Weight Watchers offers a holistic approach to weight loss,” said Jana Dalrymple, Weight Watchers leader. “Participants benefit from the support group-like setting and proven techniques that motivate and encourage healthy weight loss and long-term success.”
For more details about Weight Watchers at Mercy, call Mary Wynn, Mercy Infection Prevention and Employee Health nurse at 223-2200 ext 2198.
Infant Loss Remembrance Service
If you or your family has been impacted by pregnancy loss or the loss of an infant shortly after birth, Mercy wants to offer you a time for reflection and comfort.
You are invited to come find support and healing at an Infant Loss Remembrance Service on Saturday, April 22, at 2 p.m. at the St. Mary’s Cemetery located west of Fort Scott on Locust Road. Anyone in the community or surrounding area who has suffered this type of loss is welcome to attend.
Our time together will include a short service and time of prayer, plus a balloon release with opportunity for participants to write messages to those children being remembered.
In case of rain, the service will be moved to Mercy Hospital’s McAuley Conference Center.
For more information, contact Mercy Chaplain Tyler Whipkey at 620-223-8481.
Wichita State. Kansas State University. Kansas University. All favorites of mine in the NCAA college basketball tournament. All with impressive records. All loaded with talent. And all failed to make the final four. They could have/should have and would have except for one thing—they didn’t. Until next year, I now would put away my lucky t-shirts bragging of my college loyalties.
Fortunately, that wasn’t the only game in town. The USA team prevailed in the World Baseball Classic, crushing Puerto Rico in the final game 8-0.
Go, America!!! Much better news from the baseball front.
Or maybe not. The next day, a friend explained that Puerto Rico is in economic shambles. Murders are rampant as are rapes and thievery, but all that stopped during the two weeks of the baseball tournament. The citizens unified…so much so that the country ran out of blonde hair dye as the locals copied the hair color of every player who, when introduced on the field, removed his cap and rubbed his yellow-tinted locks. For two weeks, Puerto Ricans relived every game, huddled in groups on corners to discuss each play their beloved team had made.
Not so much the United States. To most of us, it was another game, another evening of something to watch on television, filling our (YAWN) bored time.
Now I felt bad for Puerto Rico. They needed the win much more than we did. I had rooted against them, and now I thought differently.
I am good at that.
In the book “Alone With God: Rediscovering the Power and Passion of Prayer,” I had underlined what author John Macarthur wrote about the godly Old Testament Jews: “…their prayers encompassed the good of the community and were not isolated to the individual. For example, the rabbis asked God not to listen to the prayer of a traveler. That’s because he might pray for an easy journey with good weather and accommodating skies when the people in that vicinity actually needed rain for their crops.”
Laura Story made that warning personal when she wrote the song “Blessings” (one of my favorites) after her husband was diagnosed with a brain tumor and her prayers seemed to go unanswered. She begins by listing all the things we pray for—blessings, peace, comfort for family, healing, etc. Then we hear this chorus:
“…what if your blessings come through raindrops?
What if Your healing comes through tears?
What if a thousand sleepless nights are what it takes to know You’re near?
What if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise?”
Oh, to count the number of times I have prayed selfishly without considering the bigger picture! And when I don’t get what I want? I forget that God’s answers many times expose my sins and fears and show up, uninvited, as loss, sorrow, conflict and disappointment.
Isaiah 55:8—“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways,” declares the LORD.
You can say that again. And again. And again.
The message was a slam-dunk. God must be a Tar Heels’ fan.
HB 2273: an act concerning consumer protection; relating to the Kansas no-call act; restricting use of automatic dialing-announcing devices.
SB 36: an act concerning the state corporation commission; relating to motor carriers, definitions, registration.
HB 2047: an act concerning the office of inspector general.
HB 2306: an act concerning the Kansas sexually violent predator act; relating to examinations; transitional release; conditional release.
SB 112: an act concerning crimes, punishment and criminal procedure; relating to evidence; videotaping of certain felony, custodial interrogations; domestic battery; creating the crime of aggravated domestic battery; controlled substances; unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia; burglary; expungement; arrest records.
H Sub for SB 40: an act concerning human trafficking and related crimes; creating the crimes of unlawful use of communication facility, promoting travel for child exploitation, internet trading in child pornography and aggravated internet trading in child pornography; relating to training for commercial driver’s license applicants; sexual exploitation of a child; buying sexual relations; commercial sexual exploitation of a child; offender registration; expungement of juvenile adjudications; victim compensation.
Sub SB 74: an act concerning persons needing assistance with cognition; relating to motor vehicle, placards, identification cards; state-issued identification cards and driver’s licenses.
H Sub SB 101: an act concerning crime victims; relating to protection orders; protection from abuse act; protection from stalking act; sexual assault evidence collection examinations and parental notification; the crime victim’s compensation board and claims for compensation.
SB 124: an act concerning the care of children; relating to the Kansas family law code; child custody, residency and parenting time; evidence of domestic abuse; relating to the revised Kansas code for the care of children; rules of evidence; admissibility of certain test results.
HB 2319: an act concerning abortion; relating to the women’s-right-to-know act; relating to certain physician information to be disclosed.
Medicaid Expansion Bill
Two weeks ago, the Kansas House passed a Medicaid expansion bill that would help cover more than 150,000 Kansans without insurance and aid our numerous hospitals and clinics whose budgets have been slashed multiple times over the last few years.
This week, the bill hit the Senate floor with the Medicaid expansion amendment, and passed. The bill was sent to Governor Brownback, who vetoed the expansion bill on Thursday morning.
The veto brought the Medicaid expansion bill back to the House floor later Thursday morning, where a debate ensued over whether to override the veto. In the end, the bill was tabled until likely next week. This means the debate will continue and the vote will occur when it’s reintroduced on the floor.
The bill was pulled from the table Monday morning. The override fell short by three votes with an 81-44 tally. It appears working poor Kansans will go another year without health care coverage, leaving the burden on those of us with insurance or the medical facilities that treat them. Our federal income taxes will continue to be spent in other states while Kansas will see more hospitals close.
We will have another newsletter out at the end of the week to wrap up 1st adjournment. The legislature will be out of session from April 7, thru May 1.
It is a special honor to serve as your state representative. I both value and need your input on the various issues facing state government. Please feel free to contact me with your comments and questions. My office address is Room 50-S, 300 SW 10th, Topeka, KS 66612. You can reach me at (785) 296-7698 or call the legislative hotline at 1-800-432-3924 to leave a message for me. Additionally, you can e-mail me at [email protected]. You can also follow the legislative session online at www.kslegislature.org.
Mercy is committed to supporting charitable organizations and activities consistent with our mission to improve the health and quality of life in the communities we serve. Just one way that Mercy does so is by donating money to sponsor a multitude of annual events or organization’s efforts to promote health and wellness.
In order to better serve the organizations which submit sponsorship/donation requests, Mercy has introduced a new online sponsorship application system.
To be considered for funding from Mercy between July 1, 2017, and June 30, 2018, all organizations seeking charitable support are asked to complete the online application at www.mercy.net/sponsorships.
The deadline to apply is June 1, 2017. Recipients will be notified by email after July 1, 2017.
To create your organization’s online proposal, you will first need to create an account by logging on to www.mercy.net/sponsorships. Note that the application will require a W-9, and Federal Tax ID number or a Social Security number to submit.
“The application review committee looks forward to receiving proposals and learning more about your organization’s plans to use funds to further our mission among the people you serve,” said Tina Rockhold, Community Relations Manager and Philanthropy Director. “We strongly encourage your organization’s members to think ahead for the next 14 months and submit applications for programs they foresee having funding needs through June of 2018.”
Orthopedic Care
Two Sisters of Mercy arrived in Fort Scott in 1886 with the intent to operate a school. Instead, Rev. Francis J. Watron had determined that the community was in desperate need of a hospital. So, Sister Theresa Dolan and Sister Mary Delores Drew began immediate oversight of a 10-bed hospital.
“Today is no different,” said Reta Baker, Mercy Hospital Fort Scott president. “We continue to shape services and programs by our community’s needs. Since opening our doors, Mercy has focused on offering the health care needs that fit the populations we serve.”
Mercy Clinic Fort Scott is pleased to announce that through collaboration with Ortho Four States, Mercy nurse practitioner Greg King will continue to provide clinic for orthopedic evaluations, joint injections, sports medicine treatment, fracture casting and care, as well as Mercy Hospital Emergency Department coverage.
Submitted by Mercy Hospital
In January, it was determined due to low volumes in orthopedics and outmigration for surgery cases, the orthopedic surgical service line was no longer sustainable under Mercy’s operation.
The arrangement allows Mercy patients access to skilled orthopedic care and the coordination for further care at another site, if necessary. King will also make referrals to specialists for orthopedic surgery at the location of the patient’s choice.
“For years, Mercy Fort Scott has coordinated with Mercy and non-Mercy providers to bring highly-skilled specialty care not often found at smaller, rural communities to the patients in our service area,” Baker explained. “Other specialties falling into this category include allergy, cardiac and thoracic surgery, cardiology, neurology, oncology, and urology.”
For more information or to make an appointment with Greg King, Mercy APRN, call Mercy Clinic Fort Scott at 620-223- 8064.
Vaccinations
On March 11, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment reported 70 confirmed cases of mumps throughout multiple counties in the state. Mumps is a contagious disease caused by a virus and typically starts with a few days of fever, headache, muscle aches, tiredness and loss of appetite, followed by swollen salivary glands. Vaccinations significantly reduce the chances of a person acquiring mumps and limit the spread of the disease.
“Vaccines are our number one resource in health promotion and disease prevention,” Kim Burns, Mercy APRN-FNP- c. “Keeping your children up to date with their immunizations keeps your child, and everyone around them, safer from preventable disease.”
It’s important that parents and guardians be well-informed about how and where to get children under the age of 19 years vaccinated to avoid costly, out-of- pocket expenses,” Burns added.
Mercy Clinics in Fort Scott, Arma and Pleasanton, as well as Mercy Convenient Care, are enrolled in the federally funded Vaccines for Children Program, known as VFC. VFC provides vaccines at no cost to children who might not otherwise be vaccinated because of inability to pay.
For example, a child insured through KanCare (T19), underinsured (commercial insurance that does not cover immunizations), Native Americans and children with no insurance coverage (self pay) will qualify to receive their shots free of charge at a clinic that offers VFC benefits. All vaccinations for children, even those younger than school age, are eligible for VFC coverage.
Although all Mercy Clinics in Bourbon, Crawford and Linn Counties are registered with the VFC program, not all clinics are so it is recommended to ask non-Mercy providers if they offer VFC benefits prior to receiving vaccinations. The immunizations, if not covered by insurance or VFC, could cost between $130 and $140 per dose. Children’s immunization that are self-pay will be charged a minimal-cost injection fee, but not the full cost of the dose.
In addition to reducing the spread of mumps, all public schools require that students supply an immunization record and that all vaccinations are up to date.
Vaccinations are recommended for patients based on age and vaccination history. Please talk with your health care provider to learn more about which shots your child may need for the coming school year.
Bereavement and Grief Support Group
If you have experienced the loss of a loved one and need support, you may find comfort among Mercy’s Bereavement and Grief Support Group.
Mercy Hospice will offer an eight week bereavement and grief support group at Mercy Hospital Fort Scott on Wednesdays 2-3 p.m. beginning April 5, through May 24.
The support group is open to anyone who has experienced loss of a loved one, regardless of hospice care or affiliation. Each week, professionals will share topics to assist participants on their journey to dealing with the loss.
Although attendance is not mandatory at all sessions, it is highly recommended. Enrollment will close after April 19.
For more information and meeting location, please contact Melissa George, Mercy Hospice Chaplain, at 620-223-8533.
Submitted by Chris Petty, K-State Extension Office
Springtime rains bring lush grasses to farm fields and ranch lands. Unfortunately, as the temperatures begin to inch up, so do pasture weeds. Serecia Lespedeza, Blackberries and Broomsedge (commonly known as poverty grass) are three common Southeast Kansas weeds.
To learn how to control these three weeds, join K-State Research and Extension Southwind District on April 18, in the Neosho County Courthouse basement meeting room in Erie, Kan.
K-State Research and Extension Area Agronomist Dr. Doug Shoup will be on hand to explain recommended treatment and control methods.
A $10 registration fee, payable at the door, will cover meal and materials. Pre-registrations are required by April 18, for an accurate meal count. To be included, call the Extension Office in Erie, Kansas at (620)244-3826.
Gardening 101 Program Set for April 6
Submitted by Krista Harding, K-State Extension Office
The first program of the “Grow It – Prepare It” series – Gardening 101 will be held Thursday, April 6 at 6 p.m., at the Bourbon County Fairgrounds in Fort Scott. This is a basic gardening program designed to help first-time gardeners with topics such as soil preparation, garden layout, planting tips and more. By the end of the program, participants will know how to set up their own garden, what to plant and how to care for their garden throughout the growing season. For more information on this program and to register, please contact the Southwind Extension District at 620-223- 3720.
Speakers Bureau Offered
Submitted by: Carla Nemecek, Southwind Extension District, Director & Agent
K-State Research & Extension in the Southwind District is proud to present our 2017 Speakers Bureau as a service to the community. We offer presentations on a wide variety of topics and hope there is at least one that may suit your needs. Our speakers are District Extension Agents who have agreed to give presentations to elementary and secondary schools; parent-teacher, civic and professional organizations; and community groups. We are confident that you will find the presentations insightful and entertaining.
The topics that are offered for 2017 are:
Everything But the Oink will illustrate some of the more than 185 non-food products that come from pigs. Native American used every part of the buffalo and wasted nothing, and today we still use nearly every part of the food animal. Examples of these fine swine products include gelatin, footballs, china, cosmetics and fertilizers.
Growing Veggies in Containers is Easy addresses the basic steps to get a started on a container garden. The desire for homegrown vegetables is increasingly popular as people become more interested in where their food comes from. It is hard to beat vegetables picked from you own garden! But for people with limited space, mobility or time, traditional gardening can be difficult, and that’s where container gardening comes in. Vegetables can be grown in just about anything that will hold soil, and this presentation will show you how to container garden.
Let’s Play Leadership in the Classroom offers various team-building games encouraging adults and students to work together and gain all important leadership skills. After all, what better way to learn about leadership than through play! This program can be adjusted for a specific leadership request as a program on demand.
Information on GMOs and Organic Foods for Consumers provides an introductory overview of some of the benefits of genetically engineered foods (GMOs), organic and conventionally produced foods, as well as address consumer concerns with these products. Additionally you will learn information on some of the nutritional content and food safety differences and similarities between organic and conventional food products.
Gray for a Day explores the age-related sensory and functional challenges some adults might face with age. Participants will gear up, participate in various activities, and have some discussion about how to protect themselves from these physical declines in the future.
Board Leadership will provide an opportunity for board members to learn the basics of being a good board member. We all know informed and committed board members are the key to healthy, effective boards and committees in our Kansas communities. Whether you are a member of a church board, a township board, or belong to any service organization with elected officers, this topic is appropriate for you.
These presentations are flexible with location and presentation time—from a short 30 minute engagement to a longer format if needed. All presentations are offered free and by appointment only. We will do our best to accommodate your request, and presentations will be scheduled based on the availability of the individual presenters.
If your group or organization has an interest in these programs, please contact the Southwind Extension District, 620-365-2242 (Iola); 620-244-3826 (Erie); 620-223-3720 (Fort Scott). Additional information about the Southwind Extension District can be found on our website, www.southwind.ksu.edu.
