“Don’t touch each other. Don’t even think of touching each other.”
We had just pulled out of the church parking lot and these were threatening words to my sons, Jeff and Adam, ages 4 and 3 years respectively, who were engaged in a finger battle in the back seat of the car. They creepy-crawled their fingers to an imaginary line separating them. And then they attacked. What started with fingers ended up in a slug fest.
I pulled the car over to the side of the freeway, got out of my seat and walked around the car to the side where Adam was sitting. Reaching across Adam, I drew an imaginary line between the two boys. It came with a warning: “Do NOT even think about crossing this line. If you do, you will be spanked.”
Returning to my driver’s seat, I put on my blinker and pulled onto the California freeway, tilting my rearview mirror and craning my neck to see what would happen next.
Jeff started. His index and middle finger wormed their way to the “middle line.” Adam did the same from his side. My sons were within one-quarter inch of each other, a standoff of fingers, ready to strike.
And then it happened. Jeff crossed the “line” and attacked Adam’s fingers, twisting them into a knot. Adam wailed.
I pulled off the freeway, unbuckled Jeff’s seat belt and spanked him. Today I would be facing jail time. The point is, once the words were out of my mouth, I needed to follow through. If not, all future threats from me would become no more than pointless ramblings. It was one of the few things in parenting I tried to do God’s way. Ecclesiastes 5:5 warns us: “It is better to say nothing than to make a promise and not keep it.”
Our government recently saw the devastating consequences of meaningless words.
In 2013 Bashar Al-Assad, President of Syria, used chemical warfare against his citizens. He had been warned that “crossing that red line by using chemical warfare would bring about catastrophic consequences.” The difference between the warning Jeff and Adam received and
Assad’s warning was that I meant it. President Obama did not.
A few weeks ago, Syria’s dictator dared us again. To him, our “red line” was an idle threat. But this time, it wasn’t. After Assad used chemical weapons on innocent children, President Trump ordered an attack on two of the Syrian chemical airfield locations.
I know that what I did on that California freeway pales in comparison to what President Trump did, but empty words are epidemic in this generation. How many times do we hear parents threaten—even using the “1-2- 3” countdown—and then do nothing? Friends share the juicy news they promised they wouldn’t. Commitments to volunteer at church are cancelled for an invitation to golf or a shopping spree.
Too many times, promises aren’t followed and threats are hollow. Matthew 5:37 gives us Jesus’ perspective on such words: “Simply let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.” There are no pinky promises, no crossing our fingers, no I swears, no “Just kidding” and no crossing over on the line on the seat.
With Senator Jake LaTurner taking on the duties of the state treasurer after being appointed to that position by Governor Sam Brownback on April 18, the Republican Precinct Committee members of LaTurner’s 13th District face the task of nominating his replacement.
Four candidates are currently being considered for the nomination to the seat, whose district includes the southern part of Bourbon and Labette counties and all of Cherokee and Crawford counties.
Local party leader Randall Readinger said the Convention of Delegates will be held in Pittsburg Sunday, where nominations will be made and voted on by those committee members of the district. The voting will happen in rounds until a candidate receives a majority of the votes.
A forum was held Tuesday afternoon, when members of the Republican Party were able to hear candidates introduce themselves and discuss topics such as education funding, rural hospital issues, tax lid legislation and their commitment to defending the seat during a special election in 2018.
The four candidates up for nomination include Richard Hilderbrand of Galena, Dale Coomes of Girard and Todd Briggs and Terry Calloway of Pittsburg. Jeff Fischer and Robert Uhler of Bourbon County initially submitted their names as potential candidates but later withdrew.
Readinger said the consensus after the forum was that the candidates have varying backgrounds and experiences and any of them would serve the district well.
“Any of them could do a good job for the District, if elected,” Readinger said.
The successful nominee after Sunday’s vote is expected to take his position Monday, May 1, with the beginning of the new legislation session.
After finding success in this season’s debate tournaments, 13 Fort Scott High School students qualified for nationals, the largest number in the team’s history.
“Personally, I am proud of their hard work,” coach Amber Toth said of the students, some of whom had qualified in the past while others were first-time qualifiers. “I realize that hard work doesn’t always yield just reward, but I am happy to say that it did in most cases.”
Those students include Darby Toth, Zach Humble, Joe Adams, Mark Adams, Alex Gorman, Isabella Provence, Rebekah Sweyko, Brooklyn Lyons, Madi Toth, Emma Faith Humble, Elizabeth Ngatia, Seth Cross and Chloe Studyvin.
“I felt relieved, accomplished, because all of my hard work finally paid off,” said sophomore and first-time qualifier Chloe Studyvin.
Each team participates in 12-14 regular season tournaments before moving on to district tournaments in the National Speech and Debate Association. The students can compete in two of the 13 different events in an effort to be one of the two students to qualify for nationals from each category.
The categories Fort Scott students qualified in include Student Congress-House, public forum debate, Lincoln Douglas debate, humorous interpretation, informative speaking, duo interpretation and program of oral interpretation.
“I am really excited to qualify as a freshman,” Madi Toth said of her achievement. “My goal is to be a four-time qualifier. I was worried about having to beat seniors to make it, but we worked hard and we did it.”
The students will travel to Birmingham, Al., in June to compete. The team has held a number of fundraisers throughout the year for the trip, but still lacks about $2,000 according to Toth. The final fundraiser will be a Community Showcase at the Ellis Fine Arts Center on May 1, at 7 p.m., with the team requesting free will donations from those attending.
The Kansas State University Meat Animal Evaluation Team won National Champion honors in the 2017 Collegiate Meat Animal Evaluation Contest in Manhattan, Kans. The team was recognized Tuesday, April 4, at the Stanley Stout Center following the three-day competition.
Team member Chase Gleason, Uniontown, Kans., won high individual overall honors at the National Collegiate Meat Animal Evaluation Contest. He also won high individual in the market animal and swine divisions.
The event, previously known as the AKSARBEN contest, now rotates between host institutions across the country. The competition includes live market animal carcass predictions and pricing, breeding animal evaluation and meat judging competition, and truly serves as a capstone judging experience for students with its incorporation of so many industry-applicable concepts.
The team first won the market animal, breeding, swine and communication divisions of the contest.
Individually, K-State had three place in the top 10 overall. Gleason, Uniontown, Kans., won the high individual title. Shelby Teague, Fort Morgan, Colo., placed third overall and Brooke Jensen, Courtland, Kans., was fourth overall.
“We are proud of our students and coaches for their hard work and accomplishments,” says Ken Odde, K-State Animal Sciences and Industry department head. “This is a challenging contest that not only tests a student’s ability in meat and livestock evaluation, but also requires that they understand pricing, which is particularly important in today’s value-based marketing system.”
The Fort Scott Community College Music Department will present the annual Spring Concert on Thursday, April 27, at the Danny and Willa Ellis Family Fine Arts Center, 2108 South Horton, Fort Scott, Kans.
The choir’s performance will begin at 7 p.m., followed by a solo xylophone performance by student Bryce Sandstoe. Choir selections will include “Alleluia,” by Randall Thompson and a Wizard of Oz medley. The band will perform a nonstop rock revue, which will cover rock music from 2017 to 1959.
FSCC Baseball Program to Host 5 Corners Mini Mart Youth Camp
The Fort Scott Community College Baseball Program will host the annual 5 Corners Mini Mart Youth Camp on Tuesday, May 2, from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at the Lions Club Field in Fort Scott, Kans.
The camp is open to students ages four through 14. Campers will receive instruction from FSCC’s baseball coaching staff and players on fundamentals including base running, hitting and throwing. The cost for the camp is $15 per student; the fee includes a t-shirt. Registration will begin at 5 p.m. at the Lions Club Field.
FSCC Men’s Basketball Program to Host Summer Basketball Camp
The Fort Scott Community College Men’s Basketball Program will host its annual summer basketball camp from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Monday, June 5, through Thursday, June 8, at Arnold Arena, 2108 South Horton, Fort Scott.
The camp, open to students grades 3-9, will emphasize basketball fundamentals including ball handling, shooting and defense as well as strategy and conditioning. Campers will receive individual and group instruction from FSCC’s highly qualified staff.
The Fort Scott National Historic Site welcomed visitors from neighboring counties and even states for their 35th annual Civil War Encampment held over the weekend.
The site welcomed a number of volunteers from the Holmes Brigade, 4th Missouri Cavalry, Western Bluecoats Field Hospital, 3rd Kansas Artillery Battery B and other local residents who dressed in Civil War period clothing and gave a number of demonstrations including baking, soap-making, infantry, cavalry and artillery.
Historian and author Diane Eickhoff gave a program on Women Soldiers of the Civil War, discussing roles the women played during the war, such as in laundry, cooking, knitting, teaching and nursing as well as by working in factories and arsenals and as clerks, spies, scouts and soldiers.
Fort Scott Presbyterian Village continues to host their annual Art is Ageless Exhibit through Monday, April 24, allowing visitors to see the creations of community members age 65 years and over.
“There’s quite a bit of art that has been entered this year,” Executive Director Ginger Nance said, adding many of the artists are self-taught.
Members of the community are encouraged to visit the exhibit and vote for their favorite work of art, which includes a variety of paintings, drawings, sculptures, sewing projects and photography, for the people’s choice award.
There are nine categories that will be judged, also divided between amateur and professional, based on if the artist has sold their work. Local competition winners will then be judged against winners of the 16 other Presbyterian Manors, with the winners being featured in a calendar.
“It’s not… about all that competition,” Nance said. “It’s about having fun and continuing to be creative and try new things.”
The Presbyterian Village is also selling tickets for the annual Good Samaritan fundraiser to be held May 17, including a chicken dinner and auction. Two trips to Santa Fe will also be raffled off, with each ticket costing $5 and three for $10. Funding raised is used to support Presbyterian Village residents who run out of finances needed to support themselves.
In our tennis match this morning, my husband and I were partners against two other men. Right after I hit the ball into the net, Dave made a suggestion.
“Patty, follow through.”
“Okay.”
Five shots later, this time into the fence: “Patty, you still aren’t following through.”
“Okay.”
“Did you know that most power comes from your follow through? Watch baseball players hit. Their bat doesn’t stop when it hits the ball.”
“Well, maybe when the tennis ball hits my racquet, that’s enough force to stop my swing. Have you ever thought of that?”
“Patty, that’s not true.”
Ignoring the fact that I’m married to Roger Federer, I answered: “Maybe in my world, it is. Maybe I’m just too delicate to hit with power… you know, too fragile.”
And since there isn’t a delicate or fragile bone in my body, we both crack up.
Still, Dave is right. I don’t follow through.
But neither does he.
(I can’t help it.) Oh, maybe in tennis he does. But there are more important things than sports. (Did I just say that?)
Dave makes lists, scads of them, believing that just writing the words is somehow fundamental to the task’s completion.
Buy muriatic acid to get the rust off the tile.
Buy Gorilla Glue to fix the rip in the couch.
Buy duct tape. For something…anything. You can’t have enough.
Think of other things needed to fix other things.
Most of us have at least one area in which we don’t follow through, don’t you agree? Get on that treadmill…now turn it on. Resist second-helpings on that molten lava cake. Apologize for poisoning the neighbor’s dog. Send that thank you letter. (Yes, letter, not email or text.) Allow only ten minutes per day on Facebook. Call Mom. (Feel free to forward this last one to my children.)
The list is endless, I know, but there’s still an area where our follow through is much more critical. Author Lisa Morrone wrote about it. “In our spiritual lives our follow through—or lack thereof—can markedly impact the power with which we live and the course of direction our lives take.” Paul said it best. Acts 20:24 ESV But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.
We start our walk with God and then sit down, sidetracked by circumstances or setbacks or laziness, and stop short of completing our spiritual journey. The simplicity of Colossians 2:6 is profound: Repent, seek the Lord for further direction, and keep going. Get that? Keep going. Follow through.
And yes, in case you are questioning, it’s on my list.
In honor of Earth Day, Bourbon County and the City of Fort Scott encourage residents to participate in a county-wide, clean-up initiative that includes free trips to the landfill and other services.
On Friday and Saturday, April 21 and 22, there will be no fees at the county landfill, which is also currently accepting tires for free, and dumpsters will be available at the intersections of 6th Street and Margrave and 6th Street and N. National Avenue. The latter location will also have recycling trailers available.
Two dumpsters will be available at each location from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. to accept household trash as well as construction and demolition materials. Dumpsters will be donated by Skitch’s Hauling and Excavation.
Mercy Hospital Fort Scott Receives an “A” for Patient Safety
Mercy Hospital Fort Scott has earned The Leapfrog Group’s prestigious “A” rating for its commitment to reducing errors, infections and accidents that can harm patients.
Dr. John Fox, Mercy Clinic Internal Medicine and Pediatrics. Photo Credit: Mercy Hospital
According to the announcement from The Leapfrog Group, a nonprofit organization committed to driving quality, safety and transparency in the U.S. health care system, Mercy Hospital Fort Scott earned top marks nationally with the “A” rating for Patient Safety in spring 2017. Hospital Safety Grades assigns A, B, C, D and F letter grades to hospitals nationwide.
“This honor reflects our dedication and commitment to providing quality care to our patients in the safest way possible,” said Brenda Stokes, RN and Mercy Executive Director Quality Assurance/ Risk/ HIM. “Our ‘A’ rating affirms the emphasis we put on ensuring our community has access to the best healthcare possible. Our physicians, clinical staff and support staff strive to deliver safe, quality, evidence-based care to every patient, every time.”
Leah Binder, president and CEO of The Leapfrog Group explained, “Hospitals that earn top marks nationally in the Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade, have achieved the highest safety standards in the country. That takes commitment from every member of the hospital staff, who all deserve thanks and congratulations when their hospitals achieve an ‘A’ Safety Grade.”
Developed under the guidance of an expert panel, the Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade uses 30 measures of publicly available hospital safety data to assign A, B, C, D and F grades to more than 2,600 U.S. hospitals twice per year. It is calculated by top patient safety experts, peer-reviewed, fully transparent and free to the public.
To see Mercy Hospital Fort Scott’s full grade, and to access consumer-friendly patient tips for staying safe in the hospital, visit www.hospitalsafetygrade.org.
About The Leapfrog Group
Founded in 2000 by large employers and other purchasers, The Leapfrog Group is a national nonprofit organization driving a movement for giant leaps forward in the quality and safety of American health care. The flagship Leapfrog Hospital Survey collects and transparently reports hospital performance, empowering purchasers to find the highest-value care and giving consumers the lifesaving information they need to make informed decisions. The Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade, Leapfrog’s other main initiative, assigns letter grades to hospitals based on their record of patient safety, helping consumers protect themselves and their families from errors, injuries, accidents and infections.
Drug Take-Back Program
On April 29, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., local law enforcement and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) will give the public an opportunity to prevent pill abuse and theft by ridding their homes of potentially dangerous expired, unused and unwanted prescription drugs. Bring your medications to the parking lot of Mercy Convenient Care at 1624 S. National for free, anonymous, “no questions asked” disposal.
Prescription Drug Take-Back Day is made possible through the partnership of Bourbon County Sherriff’s Department, the Fort Scott Police Department and Mercy Hospital Pharmacy.
This initiative addresses a vital public safety and public health issue. Medicines that languish in home cabinets are highly susceptible to diversion, misuse and abuse. Rates of prescription drug abuse in the U.S. are alarmingly high, as are the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses due to these drugs. Studies show that a majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including from the home medicine cabinet. In addition, Americans are now advised that their usual methods for disposing of unused medicines—flushing them down the toilet or throwing them in the trash—both pose potential safety and health hazards.
March of Dimes Recognizes Mercy Hospital Fort Scott
Most moms-to-be are aware that the steps to having a healthy baby begin long before birth, but many may not understand the negative health impact of delivering a child prior to 39 weeks without medical reason.
“The last weeks of pregnancy are important,” said Paul E. Jarris, MD, MBA, March of Dimes Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Officer. “Babies aren’t just putting on weight. They are undergoing important development of the brain, lungs and other vital organs.”
Even babies born just a few weeks early have higher rates of hospitalization and illness than full-term infants, the March of Dimes says. Although the overall threat is small, the risk of death more than doubles for infants born at 37 weeks of pregnancy when compared to babies born at 40 weeks, for all races and ethnicities. Babies who survive an early birth often face lifelong health challenges, such as breathing problems, cerebral palsy and learning disabilities.
As part of the March of Dimes campaign to reduce the number of early elective deliveries (EED), the agency is partnering with the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, the Kansas Hospital Association (KHA) and the Kansas Healthcare Collaborative (KHC) to recognize Kansas birthing hospitals that pledge to eliminate early elective deliveries.
“We commend Mercy Hospital Fort Scott for reducing the number of elective inductions and cesarean deliveries performed before 39 weeks of pregnancy to less than five percent of all deliveries,” Jarris added.
“I’m extremely proud of the work to reduce the number of early elective deliveries at Mercy Hospital Fort Scott,” said Reta Baker, Mercy Hospital president. “This took great teamwork from our Mercy physicians, nurses and obstetric unit. It is a tremendous accomplishment that will give many more babies a healthy start in life.”
Dr. Larry Seals, Mercy OB/GYN, said, “Teamwork is the key. Collectively, we recognized the problem of unnecessary early deliveries and put in place policies to avoid scheduling c-sections or inductions before 39 weeks of pregnancy, except when medically necessary.”
In the past five years, Mercy Hospital has reduced the number of EEDs from 34 percent in 2011 to zero percent in 2016.
“The recognition by the March of Dimes helps us spread the message that ‘Healthy Babies are Worth the Wait,’” Seals added. “The March of Dimes campaign urges women to wait for labor to begin on its own if their pregnancy is healthy, rather than scheduling delivery before 39 weeks.”
Governor Sam Brownback [Tuesday] announced his appointment of Senator Jake LaTurner as Kansas State Treasurer. Current State Treasurer Ron Estes was recently elected to represent the fourth congressional district in the House of Representatives. LaTurner will assume his new position once Estes vacates the office later this month.
Senator Jake LaTurner during the recent Highway 69 project groundbreaking ceremony.
“Jake LaTurner is a dedicated public servant with a keen intellect who will serve the people of Kansas well,” said Governor Brownback. “He is a man of character, principle, and integrity, reflecting the values of our great state.”
LaTurner, a native of South Eastern Kansas, graduated from Pittsburg State University with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science. At 24 years old he was elected to the Kansas Senate where he has served with distinction for the last five years. Twice elected to represent the 13th senate district, he successfully authored and passed the property tax lid, allowing Kansans to have a direct voice in their property tax rate, by requiring a local vote on proposed property tax increases beyond inflation. An alumnus and representative of Pittsburg State University, LaTurner has long championed higher education understanding that education is the path out of poverty.
“Being selected to serve as state treasurer is both humbling and exciting,” said Senator LaTurner. “I look forward to getting to work, meeting with folks across the state and continuing the quality work that Kansans have rightly come to expect from their state treasurer.”
Prior to his election to the Kansas Senate, LaTurner worked for former state treasurer Congresswoman Lynn Jenkins.
“As a former state treasurer, I am proud to learn that Jake LaTurner will become our next Treasurer of Kansas,” said Congresswoman Jenkins. “I have known him for more than a decade and hired him as a staffer during my first term in Congress. I have always been a big fan of Jake and know he will continue to be an outstanding public servant to the people of Kansas. I wish him and his family all the best.”
As the outgoing state treasurer, Congressman-elect Ron Estes noted the role of the Treasurer in serving Kansans.
“As outgoing Treasurer, I take great pride in the service the office provided to the citizens of Kansas,” said Congressman-elect Estes. “I trust that Senator LaTurner will continue that great service from the Treasurer’s office.”
LaTurner and his wife, Suzanne, have four children, Ava, Joe, Maggie, and Gus.
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.
