Category Archives: Youth

CHC/SEK Fort Scott welcomes new pediatrician

FORT SCOTT –– Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas is pleased to announce pediatrician Mary Jo Flint, MD, has joined the medical staff at CHC/SEK’s Fort Scott Clinic, 2322 S. Main St.

 

Pediatricians see to the needs of infants, children, adolescents, and young adults. For many young people, a pediatrician is their primary care provider from birth, through the age of 18. Pediatricians have many responsibilities, from regular well-child checkups to diagnosing and treating illnesses, injuries, and other health conditions.

 

Dr. Flint is board certified by the American Board of Pediatrics and most recently practiced in Henderson, Tennessee. She has connections to our region, having previously practiced pediatric medicine in the Kansas City area.

 

Dr. Flint graduated from the University of North Dakota School of Medicine and worked in private practice in Kansas City and Children’s Mercy Hospital. She is affiliated with Overland Park Regional Medical Center, Menorah Hospital, Shawnee Mission Medical Center, and St Luke’s East.

 

Outside of her work, she enjoys reading about history and historical biographies, following sports including KC Chiefs, KSU football, and University of North Dakota hockey, attending music and drama events and church.

 

Dr. Flint will join CHC/SEK in September and appointments are now being accepted by calling 620-223-8040.

 

For more information about CHC/SEK Fort Scott Clinic, visit https://chcsek.org

 

Lowell Milken Center Announces Discovery Awards Semi-Finalists

August 12, 2024

Vol. 6

Announcing the

2024 Discovery Award Semi-Finalists

The Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes is excited to announce the 2024 Discovery Award Semi-Finalists!

The Discovery Award celebrates students who shine a light on unsung heroes through documentaries, performances, or websites. These young researchers are making history by uncovering stories of role models who changed history.

LMC News

We welcomed enthusiastic visitors from the Burlington Recreation Center in Burlington, KS, on Friday. They received a program and explored the inspiring stories of Unsung Heroes.

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K.R.I. Update To Open A Unit For 9-13 Year Olds

 

 

The west entrance of the Kansas Renewal Institute, June 2024.

 

Kansas Renewal Institute is an addiction treatment center, mental health service and healthcare administrator, which opened its doors at 401 Woodland Hills Blvd, in April 2024.

To view the feature on the opening: https://fortscott.biz/news/k-r-i-is-fully-staffed-licensed-and-ready-for-patients

The facility receives patient referrals through Managed Care Organizations (MCO) from the State of Kansas Medicaid Program, said Joe Tinervin, K.R.I.President of Operations.

They currently have 32 adolescent residents.

” We chose not to pursue a license for Substance Abuse Disorder/Detox at this time,” Tinerin said.  “We decided to go all-in for Physiactric Residential Treatment Facility because that’s what the State needs help with the most.”
Joe Tinervin, from his LinkedIn site.
“Our current census consists of residents between the ages of 8 to 16 with separate units for pre-adolescents and adolescents. Our license allows us to work with youth ages 6 to 18,” he said.
“We currently have 72 employees and growing,” he said. ” We have enough staff to accommodate our current census with room for growth, but we’re always searching for new talent who are aligned with our mission and core values, to join our organization.”

To view prior stories on K.R.I.:

Kansas Renewal Institute Opens First Location

Kansas Renewal Institute Repurposes Mercy Hospital

“All referrals come through the MCOs,” he said. “Sunflower, United Healthcare and Aetna Better Health of Kansas.”

“The kids we have admitted have been on the waitlist for quite a while,” Tinervin said.

K.R.I. is opening a pre-adolesent unit specifically for children aged 9-13 years old, allowing this age group to be separated from older adolescents.

K.R.I. occupies the north and west wings of the former Mercy Hospital.

A small sign on the sliding door is the only marker for the entrance to K.R.I. at the west entrance to the facility. There is a similar small sign on the east door.  June 2024

On June 13, Freeman Health Systems announced that the southwest part at 410 Woodland Hills Blvd. will become a 10-bed hospital with an emergency department.

“Having both medical and behavioral health under one roof, we’ll be able to reach more people with needs,” Tinervin said.

 

The former Mercy Hospital is the site of the new Kansas Renewal Institute. Several other entities are officed in the building as well.

Museum of Creativity Will Close For One Month

The Museum of Creativity is about to get even better! We are closing from August 4th to September 5th so that we can update and add attractions.

If you haven’t been in lately, I highly recommend visiting this month to see the new Morphing Mini Golf attraction. We built 3 holes and have many obstacles that you can change to create a new challenge each time you putt.

Our prices have remained low @ $1-$2/ visit for the past 3 years as we’ve been making changes here and there and adding things slowly. After this closure we will be opening up for a $5 entrance fee.
We will be initiating memberships and if you visit once a week they definitely reflect our old price more than the new one. Stay tuned for more information!
Along with this revamp of the museum we are also having a fundraiser. An opportunity for you to become a permanent part of the museum. We are building a picket fence at the museum and you can get your name, a grandchild’s, a business or even a pet’s name put onto a picket. We are asking for a $50 donation for up to 20 characters (including spaces). Our goal is to get at least 100 of these sold by the end of July. You can purchase them here:
You can use this link:
museumofcreativity.ludus.com
to subscribe to our email list and donate to a specific project, improvement or just in general. We are dedicated to using your money wisely to improve the museum for all to enjoy. Now is the time that you can make a huge difference!
We appreciate any and all help this next month as we prepare for this huge update. If you would like to donate time or labor, we would love to include you in our plans. Just reply to this email or shoot us a text. We have never paid employees to manage or improve the museum. Everything we do is through volunteer service. Any and all help is very much appreciated. Here is a list of some of the different projects we are hoping to tackle as part of this revamp:
We hope you will come visit us this month and that you will join us for our grand opening event in September to see all the new changes! (flyers attached below)
As always, please help us spread the word!
Thank you for your support!
Lorina Bowman


Museum of Creativity
209-204-9743

102 S. National Ave

Fort Scott, KS  66701

HBCAT Receives Grant To Help With Food Insecurity

 

The Healthy Bourbon County Action Team is located at 104 N. National Avenue, Fort Scott.

Last month, the Healthy Bourbon County Action Team (HBCAT) received a $55,000 grant per year over three years to help with food insecurity in Bourbon County.

Rachel Carpenter. Submitted photo.
“We will first need to develop a strategic plan by identifying the gaps within our local food system,” Rachel Carpenter, Executive Director of the HBCAT said. “We will be organizing a Food Summit within the next year where citizens can voice their needs. We also will leverage our partnerships and community members in our coalition, Local Health Equity Action Team, to implement any community changes. This grant also opens up opportunities to network with leaders addressing food insecurity across the State.”
She can be reached at 620-215-2562.
HBCAT is one of eight Kansas community coalitions to be funded to help launch a food secure initiative.
Consistent access to healthy food is important for children to thrive and part of the mission is to address food insecurity.

On June 4, the Kansas Food Action Network, a program of KC Healthy Kids,  announced the launch of the Food Secure Communities Initiative, which aims to end hunger in Kansas by addressing the policy, systems, and environmental barriers to food security, also known as “root causes., according to a press release.

The Food Secure Communities Initiative will put results in the hands of community members who are uniquely positioned to understand and address the root causes of food insecurity in their community, according to the release.

Kansas Food Action Network unveiled eight Kansas health and wellness coalitions selected as inaugural members of the Food Secure Communities Initiative. Each member will receive funding of $55,000 per year over three years, plus peer networking and strategic assistance.

Food Secure Communities Initiative Members

  • Bourbon County (Healthy Bourbon County Action Team)
  • Thomas County Thomas County Coalition)
  • Cowley County (RISE Cowley)
  • Harvey County (Healthy Harvey Coalition)
  • Lyon County (Healthier Lyon County)
  • Sedgwick County (Health and Wellness Coalition of Wichita)
  • Seward County (Liberal Area Coalition for Families)
  • Shawnee County (LiveWell Shawnee County)

The initiative will share best practices, resources, and strategies to advance food security at the local level.

The grant is from the Kansas Health Foundation and United Methodist Health Ministries Fund.

About Healthy Bourbon County Action Team

The Healthy Bourbon County Action Team’s mission is to increase access to healthy food and physical activity, promote commercial tobacco cessation, enhance quality of life and encourage economic growth. The problems of health inequity and social injustice are complex in nature and inextricably linked to key economic indicators. A healthy workforce is a prerequisite for economic success in any industry and in all cities, according to its website.

About KC Healthy Kids
Founded in 2005, KC Healthy Kids is a 501(c) (3) nonprofit dedicated to addressing the physical and mental health challenges impacting children in the Greater Kansas City area, including western Missouri and all of Kansas. Through food policy and local food initiatives, mental health support, and active community initiatives or advocacy, KC Healthy Kids and their partners promote health for thousands of local kids and their families. Find out
more at www.kchealthykids.org.

About Kansas Food Action Network
Kansas Food Action Network, a program of KC Healthy Kids, is committed to creating a Kansas where all residents have dependable access to food for an active, healthy and productive life. The network supports communities as they identify and address local food system priorities by offering support, resources and partnerships. As a result of their efforts, an estimated 73% of Kansans are represented by a local food council, the highest per capita rate in the United States.

Southwind District 4-H Livestock Judging Team: From State to International Champions

Brady Hurt, Tate Crystal, Reegan McDaniel, Emery Yoho, Kyser Nemecek, Carly Dreher. Submitted photo.
In August 2023, they were State Champions. Fast forward to January 2024, and they clinched the National Championship. Now, the Southwind District proudly announces that these remarkable kids have earned the title of International Champions!
Emery Yoho, Brady Hurt, Kyser Nemecek, Tate Crystal, Carly Dreher, Reegan McDaniel. Submitted photo.
In January 2024, the Southwind Extension District 4-H Livestock Judging Team, consisting of Emery Yoho (Yates Center), Tate Crystal (Fort Scott), Reegan McDaniel (Fort Scott), and Kyser Nemecek (Iola), emerged as the National Champion 4-H Livestock Judging Team at the prestigious National Western Stock Show in Denver, Colorado. This victory earned them an invitation to compete internationally at the Royal Highland Show in Scotland and the Charleville Show in the Republic of Ireland from June 19 to July 3, 2024.
The Royal Highland Show, a top-tier livestock event comparable to the American Royal or National Western Stock Show, where the Southwind District 4-H youth divided into pairs, each judging different species. Emery Yoho and Tate Crystal formed the Kansas 4-H Sheep Team, earning the Champion Team title, while Reegan McDaniel and Kyser Nemecek, the Cattle Team, secured 4th Overall. Carly Dreher (Iola) and Brady Hurt (Buffalo) also participated in the contest.
Back Row: Brady Hurt, Tate Crystal, Reegan McDaniel, Kyser Nemecek; Front row: Carla Nemecek, Emery Yoho, Carly Dreher, Cathy Dreher. Submitted photo.
The International Livestock Tour offered more than just competition. It included agricultural seminars, tours, and opportunities to enhance leadership skills and education through interactions with citizens of the UK and Ireland. The team visited diverse livestock operations, including a water buffalo milking facility that produces its own mozzarella cheese, a progressive livestock sale barn, and Netherton Farm, home to one of Scotland’s top Registered Angus herds. Additionally, they enjoyed the Royal Highland Show in Scotland and the Clonmel Stock Show in Ireland.
Beyond agriculture, the Kansas youth forged friendships with a Scottish sheep breeder, rode the London Eye in England, and kissed the Blarney Stone in Ireland. They were part of an elite group of nine American 4-H and FFA Teams from across the US, each having earned their spot by winning either a Champion or Reserve title at a National Livestock Judging contest. Accompanying them on this International Tour were Carla Nemecek and Cathy Dreher.
To support their journey, the Southwind team sold stock in the Livestock Judging Team and will host a shareholders meeting on Tuesday, July 30, 2024, at the River Room Event Center in Fort Scott, KS. Shareholders will be treated to dinner and a comprehensive presentation of the learning experiences from the Tour, showcasing the invaluable return on their investment in the 4-H Livestock Judging Team.

Barnstormers 4H Minutes of June 12

    The Barnstormers 4H club met under the Hubenette Pavilion at
6:36 p.m. “What is your favorite fair project that you have seen?” was this month’s roll call.  13 members and 8 parents were present. The Secretary minutes were read then approved by Macie making a
motion and Klara seconding.  The Treasurer’s report had no
changes.  Next on the agenda was the reading of the newsletter. All
members were told to collect rodeo tickets to sell for the fair and
Rodeo this year.  Katie made an announcement that we would work
on the booth and banner the weekend before the fair started, July 13 and 14.  She would text for more information.
At 6:51 p.m. Bane made a motion to adjourn the meeting and Kort seconded.
Jewel Endicott
Barnstormers 4H Secretary
Jack Endicott
Barnstormers 4H Reporter

Community Vacation Bible School’s for 2024

If your church has a Vacation Bible School this summer, please send the name and address of the church, the date of VBS and times, the age group of children invited, and the theme of the VBS, to [email protected]. The following are Vacation Bible Schools for this summer that have been submitted.

 

Fort Scott Church of the Nazarene

Fort Scott Nazarene church, 1728 Horton St. Fort Scott,  will have their VBS from June 24th-27th from 6:00-8:30 pm. with a
Scuba theme
See their website fsn. life or our Facebook page for more info.

Uniontown First Missionary Baptist Church

The Uniontown Baptist Church will have its VBS with the theme of God’s Backyard Bible Camp ‘Under the Stars’ on July 22-26, from  9 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. for ages 4 through 5th grade.
Each child can fill a Samaritan’s Purse Christmas Shoebox to send to a child overseas.  The school includes game time and bounce houses.
Bethel Community Baptist Church
Submitted graphic.

VBS K5-6th grade:
Church name: Bethel Community Baptist Church
Address: 1397 155th St, Fort Scott, KS 66701
Date: Wednesday, July 31st-Sunday, August 4th.
Time: 9am-noon.
Theme: On a mission for the Lord

Submitted graphic.

VBS 7th-12th grade:
Church name: Bethel Community Baptist Church
Address: 1397 155th St, Fort Scott, KS 66701
Date: Monday, August 5th-Thurs. August 8th.
Time: 6:30-9:00 pm.
Theme: Teen Challange

Reegan McDaniel Receives Kansas Agriculture Skills and Competencies Certificate

Agriculture Education Students Awarded Kansas Agriculture Skills and Competencies Certificates

MANHATTAN, Kansas — Twenty-five students from five schools in Kansas have been awarded the Kansas Department of Agriculture’s Kansas Agriculture Skills and Competencies Certificate. High schools with students earning certificates include Buhler, Centre, Ellsworth, Fort Scott and Republic County.

Students have completed requirements in the areas of classroom instruction, supervised agricultural experience (SAE) and FFA. They have demonstrated excellence in agricultural knowledge, career readiness, and leadership development. Students must also maintain a cumulative GPA of 2.5 or higher in all school courses to earn the certification.

“Students receiving these certificates are among the most well-rounded agricultural education students in the state. This recognition isn’t based on one single activity or achievement but on meeting the criteria for several components showing diversity in agricultural knowledge and success in and out of the classroom,” said John Clark, the agriculture education teacher at Buhler High School.

KDA is committed to establishing a dynamic and well-equipped workforce that meets the diverse needs of the agriculture industry today. “As agriculture continues to advance, there is a continued need for skilled young people to operate high-tech machinery on our dairies, ranches, and farms, and technical specialists to provide research in agronomy, technology and animal science fields,” said Russell Plaschka, KDA marketing director. “Kansas agriculture is growing, and the industry requires a well-equipped workforce to help support that growth in our great state. We are proud of these young adults.”

These certificates have been endorsed by several industry organizations and employers.

Applications for the Kansas Agriculture Skills and Competencies Certificates are accepted each spring. To find more information, visit agriculture.ks.gov/ageducation.

Complete list of students:

Buhler High School
Jaelyn Anderson
Peyton Coldren
Marlie Cooper
Brynlee Frank
Krysten Hamby
Amos Harder
Megan Krueger
Mikayla Milburn
Danielle Rogers
Madison Shain
Makenna Siemens
Emmie Stallman

Centre High School
Jenna Bittle
Leah Brunner
Karsen Kroupa
Jenaya Plett
Emilee Remmers
Isabel Rziha
Allie Stuchlik
Payton Svitak

Ellsworth High School
Rebekah Vague

Fort Scott High School
Reegan McDaniel

Republic County High School
Macey Homeier
Camryn Reynolds
Gracia Siemsen

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Mom and Son Team Up to Create a Family Church Camp

Camren shows the itinerary of the activities of the church camp he and his mom are planning. Submitted photo.

Camren Lamb, 10, and his mom, Melanie Lamb are teaming up to facilitate a family church camp next month.

They had been planning the camp together but didn’t have a sight secured yet.

“Then Ralph Carlson offered his private land, pond, and cabin for the church camp and said, ‘I can’t think of a better use for it,'” Melanie said.

Last year Camren raised money for purchasing a Vacation Bible School kit to create a church camp for families. He did this by selling his art and playing his guitar for tips at his booth at the Fort Scott Farmer’s Market which hosted the  Children’s Business Fair.

The Lambs purchased an Answers in Genesis Vacation Bible School kit with money from his sales and tips.

For four days and three nights, July 15-18,  Camren and Melanie will lead groups in Bible lessons, games, crafts, songs, Scripture memorization, snacks, and a Bible verse treasure hunt.

In addition, there will be kayaking, canoeing, water balloon fun, campfire, and devotions.

“Some of his friends will help,” Melanie said. “He is looking forward to leading the groups.”

Camren said, “It’s good to be with friends in nature.”

There are a few openings left for families, Melanie said.

Melanie said each family must bring their tent, food, and necessities.

The campsite and activities are provided.

The cabin at the Carlson property has water and there is an outhouse.

For more information contact Melanie at 620.215.3449.

Camren Lamb displays his vacation Bible school kit that he and his mom are turning into a family church camp event.