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4-15-2020
Governor Extends Renewal Deadlines For Adult Care Homes and Suspends Non-Essential Fire Inspections
Today Governor Laura Kelly signed Executive Order #20-23 as part of her administration’s ongoing, comprehensive response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The order brings Kansas adult-care homes in line with other occupational licensing exemptions the Governor has issued in recent days. All state agencies working or collaborating with the Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services shall extend renewal deadlines for any occupational or professional license, certificate or registrations as needed.
“This order is critical to ensure adult care-home workers can continue to do their jobs during this pandemic,” Kelly said.
Additionally, the order temporarily suspends non-essential fire inspections for new or renewal of KDADS-licensed facilities during the State of Disaster Emergency. The suspension will remain valid until 90 days after the State of Disaster Emergency is terminated, and all fees are suspended until that time.
KDADS Secretary Laura Howard thanked the Governor for signing the order.
“This order will give nursing facilities the latitude to create alternate care sites or designated units to ensure safe care for all residents and support adherence to infection control measures,” Howard said. “Our agency is committed to continuing our work with community partners and local health officials to stem the tide of this pandemic in the state’s nursing facilities.”
Livestream For Small Businesses May 6
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Obituary of Lorna Smith
Lorna May Smith, 79, of Redfield, Kansas, passed away suddenly on Monday, April 13, 2020, at Freeman Hospital West in Joplin, Missouri. Lorna was born August 23, 1940, the daughter of Albert Johnston and Mona (Shoemaker) Johnston in Tulare, California.
Lorna is survived by her loving husband of 57 years, Glenn Smith of the home, daughter Glenna Hendrickson (Kevin) of Osceola, Missouri and son Craig Smith (Cathy) of Leavenworth, Kansas; siblings Earl Johnston (Sharon) of Ellsworth, Kansas, and Sharon (Lonnie) Horner of El Cajon, California; 5 nieces and 5 nephews.
Upon Lorna’s graduation from Fort Scott High School in 1958, she received her Associates of Arts Degree from Fort Scott Community College in 1960 before graduating from Pittsburg State University in 1962 with a BSED in secondary education and in 1991 with MSED in school counseling. Lorna also received her library science and journalism certifications while attending PSU.
Lorna put her education degrees to use by spending over 53 years in the field of education. Lorna taught for 2 years at Fort Scott Junior High, 35 years at Uniontown High School, and 19 years as an adjunct teacher at Fort Scott Community College. During her teaching career, Lorna taught English, speech, journalism, general business, psychology, and world geography along with being the school librarian and facilitator for the Interactive Distance Learning Center. As a coach, Lorna began the very successful volleyball program at Uniontown High School in 1969. Lorna was also the cheerleader coach, pom pom coach, Pep Club sponsor, student council sponsor, school newspaper sponsor, and play director. Lorna also assisted students in preparing for various contests in band, music, choir, FFA, and numerous other activities. Lorna has received numerous awards and honors during her educational and coaching careers. Lorna was also a member of numerous educational, coaching, professional, and community organizations.
Lorna has been a very active member of the Cherry Grove Baptist Church for the majority of her life. She has been the church organist and pianist for over 50 years. She participated in the Cherry Jammers musical group while performing throughout the community. Lorna used her musical talents in a variety of ways. She played for many weddings and funerals, accompanied many 4-H members and college students preparing for local, state, and national music contests. Lorna also spent 12 years playing for rodeos throughout the mid-west.
During her spare time, Lorna enjoyed spending time with her family, doing crafts, and traveling. She also enjoyed spending time with Glenn while he participated in sporting events, rodeos, team roping events, Corriente shows, and church.
The family will hold a private inurnment in Memory Gardens Cemetery.
A public memorial service will be announced at a later date.
Arrangements are under the direction of the Cheney Witt Chapel. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made in Lorna’s name to Cherry Grove Baptist Church in Garland, Kansas, and may be left in care of Cheney Witt Chapel, PO Box 347, 201 S. Main, Fort Scott, KS 66701. Words of remembrance may be submitted to the online guestbook at cheneywitt.com.
DCF to Distribute Emergency Food Assistance Benefit
Kansans to receive maximum benefit
Governor Laura Kelly and Department for Children and Families Secretary Laura Howard today announced the agency will begin issuing an emergency food assistance benefit to current program households. The emergency allotment increases a household’s monthly benefit to the maximum allowed for the size of the family. The maximum monthly benefit for a family of four is $646.
“The federal Families First Coronavirus Response Act allows states to provide this emergency assistance,” Howard said. “We know these additional funds will allow families to purchase more essential groceries for their family while also reducing their visits to grocery stores during this time of social distancing.”
“At a time when we are seeing long lines at food distribution sites these additional funds are necessary to keep Kansans fed,” Kelly said. “I also want to thank all of the eligibility workers who are making sure this money gets to families quickly.”
No application is necessary to receive the emergency funds. Families should start to see their March emergency benefit on their EBT card beginning April 15. The distribution will follow the standard alphabetical schedule. DCF will distribute April emergency benefits in mid to late May.
Households that already receive the maximum monthly allotment are not eligible for emergency assistance. The allotment is for March and April only.
Those interested in applying for food assistance can visit the DCF website at www.dcf.ks.gov.
For more information on COVID-19 visit: www.kdheks.gov/coronavirus.
VA: Temporary Job Opportunities
VA Collaborates with the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) on
Temporary Job Opportunities to Fight COVID-19
The Trump Administration has called for a whole-of-government approach toward fighting the Coronavirus. For the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), this means an extensive outreach and social media campaign to Federal retirees with a deep sense of public service duty to return to Government and join the fight. The whole-of-government approach also includes partnership with OPM. OPM is helping VA communicate temporary COVID-19 job opportunities to the public on USAJobs at: https://www.usajobs.gov/. OPM has also established a portal in response to COVID-19 where VA can post reimbursable and non-reimbursable details and temporary opportunities to the Federal workforce.
The COVID-19 Surge Response Program is designed for Federal employees to have an opportunity to support the overall response to COVID-19. The COVID-19 Surge Response Program uses Open Opportunities as a central location for Federal agencies to post details and/or temporary assignments. VA is especially looking for nurses and other health care providers, including physicians, pharmacists, social workers, technicians, housekeeping aides, and food service workers.
VA needs current Federal employees with applicable skills to join us in the national effort to combat COVID-19. To apply, Federal employees must have supervisory approval, in writing, and need not be in a similar or related position to qualify for the detail and/or temporary rotational assignment. The supervisory approval may be in the form of an email message from the supervisor.
Employees may follow these steps to learn more about the program and how to apply:
1. Visit the COVID-19 Surge Response Program on Open Opportunities.
2. Read about the details and/or temporary assignments.
3. Apply to a detail and/or temporary assignment:
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- You will need to create a user profile account on OpenOpportunities.gov in order to apply to a detail and/or temporary assignment.
· To apply, Federal employees must have supervisor approval in writing to include email.
4. Federal Agencies review applications and select individual(s) for the detail and/or temporary rotational assignment.
5. Prior to starting the detail and/or temporary rotational assignment, a Memorandum of Understanding will be completed between the host agency and the home agency (or component, where individual rotates within their home agency).
Thank you for supporting the Federal response to COVID-19.
by
Veteran Administration Secretary Robert L. Wilkie
Kansas COVID 19 Cases Update April 15
Bourbon County COVID 19 cases remains at seven.
To see the full report:
https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/DocumentCenter/View/676/4-15-20-update-numbers
Terry Chance Retires From Christian Heights School
After 32 years as principal of Fort Scott Christian Heights and 14 years as a teacher before that, Terry Chance is retiring as of June 1.
Chance, 70, says his becoming an educator was a process of time.
“I felt like God wanted me to be involved full-time in a Christian ministry,” he said. “I got into music education and have been in education ever since.”
“John Page was our pastor and principal of Christian Heights and was my mentor,” Chance said. “He is my hero.”
Chance said he loves the interaction with students.
“It has been a thrill when they understand what you teach,” he said.
For him, seeing students go on from Christian Heights to serve their family, their community and their church, “That’s success,” he said.
The biggest challenge in his career has been the current pandemic that has closed down all schools in the nation.
“We are trying to figure out how to help our students right now,” Chance said.
Chance said he made up his mind to retire last summer and told the FSCH Board of Education in September.
The board has hired Larry Davolt as the new principal.
Davolt has been a science teacher at the school for 28 years.
The Bourbon County Sheriff’s Office Daily Reports April 15
The Fort Scott Police Department Daily Reports April 10-14
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Extension of Emergency Orders For Utility Disconnects
KCC extends emergency order suspending utility disconnects until May 15
Citing the continued threat of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Kansas Corporation Commission used its emergency powers to extend a previous order suspending utility disconnects for nonpayment until May 15. The action, taken during a Commission business meeting this morning, will offer continued relief to those experiencing hardship from the COVID-19 virus. The previous order, issued March 16, was set to expire tomorrow.
The directive covers all electrical, natural gas, water and telecommunications utilities under the KCC’s jurisdiction, several of which have already voluntarily suspended disconnects. The Commission also encourages those utilities not under its jurisdiction to enact similar practices.
“The difficulties associated with COVID-19 are far from over. As Kansans continue to face both health and financial challenges, it is critical that they have continued access to utility services in their homes to ensure public safety,” said Commission Chair Susan Duffy.
The Commission may elect to extend the suspension order in a subsequent order if conditions warrant.
Today’s order can be viewed at:
https://estar.kcc.ks.gov/estar/ViewFile.aspx/20200414110728.pdf?Id=14bf4cde-a3d1-4c29-8971-327bab674e74
Bourbon County Commission Plan For Moving Forward
Bourbon County Press Release
For Immediate Release
4/14/2020
On March 14, 2020, the Bourbon County Commission declared a state of disaster as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.
Shortly after on March 26, 2020, the Southeast Kansas Multi-County Health Department Officer issued an order to stay at home.
Since that time, there has been measurable progress at the county level, building a framework and preparing for when the Governor of Kansas tells Kansans we can reopen.
Bourbon County Commissioners realized the severity of the situation and acted swiftly in declaring an emergency existed.
This resulted in opening doors to federal resources. Bourbon County Emergency Management has worked diligently to keep our frontline healthcare workers safe with the necessary personal protective equipment, PPE. Available relief has been communicated through Facebook, email, radio, webinars, and hosting teleconference meetings with state level government officials such as with David Toland our Secretary of Commerce.
In three weeks, we have spoken to almost one hundred different businesses and organizations on a regular basis. At this time, we have reports of almost $4.6 million in relief to businesses awarded or applied for in our community.
On April 14, Bourbon County Economic Development, Jody Hoener, presented the commission a framework and roadmap with a goal to facilitate an effective path forward.
All three commissioners voiced their full support of the plan in moving forward.
“It’s an educational type of thing” stated Lynne Oharah, Bourbon County Commission Chair and COVID-19 Manager, “Educating the community on the plan. We need to move forward with this. Jody’s done a great job getting the framework in place and now we need to get all the players on board and get it out to the targeted groups.”
Our community has responded to the crisis informed, safely, and appropriately. Our framework, the roadmap to facilitate an effective path forward to reopening, has likewise been informed by experts in their field, researched heavily to ensure safety, and appropriate needs have been identified.
We do not have tima eline, but we know what the triggers are to move to the next phase. Planning for each phase now should begin so the infrastructure is in place when it is time to transition.
Phases are identified in the most well-renowned plan called National Coronavirus Response: A Road Map to Recovery by the American Enterprise Institute.
The phase we are in right now is called “Slow the Spread.” Experts are saying to move on we must see a slowed rate of infection and our healthcare infrastructure must be scaled up to safely manage the outbreak and care for the sick.
This includes using technology available to us, at its full potential, to keep our healthcare workforce, ambulance crews, and law enforcement officers safe.
The next phase is a State by State Reopening and will be determined by Governor Laura Kelly.
However, we anticipate there will continue to be some physical distancing measures and limitations mandated on gathering to prevent another accelerated outbreak.
Phase three is when physical distancing restrictions can be lifted. We can reach this point when we are using technology to screen our vulnerable populations and essential workers and collect data regionally, statewide, and perhaps even nationwide.
Of course, testing, once available, will be a key component. It is so important that it is worth repeating: Planning for each phase now should begin so the infrastructure is in place when it is time to transition.
The County team diligently on the needed infrastructure for when we are allowed to transition out of the current phase of slowing the spread to the next phase and beyond.
For the last three weeks, we have been very intentional and strategic with our efforts with a goal to facilitate an effective path forward.
We have identified our needs in a one page:
These include:
1.Rapid data collection of essential workers
2.Increase communication between public/private healthcare sectors
3.Improve patient communication
4.Promote a consistent message
We have articulated the required inputs to reach our goals in our Quad Chart.
These required inputs include:
1.Access to technology that can be used to tele-triage and screen our healthcare providers, the essential workforce, and the vulnerable populations. This allows for a more targeted approach to containing the COVID-19 Coronavirus.
2. Build many partnerships with experts and essential businesses such as: MRGlobal, Heart to heart International, the healthcare sector, KDHE, public health, emergency management, nursing homes and assisted livings, law enforcement agencies, and major employers.
3. Funding through public/private relationships.
4. Equipment to keep frontline workers safe with needed PPE, a database with software to support the self-reporting tele- screening, collection, entry and analysis of data taken during triage, testing, and recovery, and finally ensure our healthcare providers have increased testing capabilities.
There are two critical components that will be required for our community to move forward:
1. Screening and Data Collection
2. Testing and Test Kits. The Federal Government has yet to bring forth a plan. The most prominent plan widely used is the American Enterprise Institute’s Road Map to Reopening. This report calls for the need to screen and collect data on target populations.
Like many chambers of commerce, cities, counties, and state governments, Bourbon County has created a roadmap and the framework to facilitate an effective path forward.
“We have to have a starting point, and this is our starting point” Lynne Oharah. “This is a long-term process. Our team does an extraordinary amount of data mining and researching expert advice.”
Experts are telling us that to reopen society will require regular testing and a reliable, fast nationwide reporting network.
One of the ways identified to contain the virus is to screen patients. Because the virus is so contagious even those who may have the virus need to be quarantined.
This roadmap has been our guide the last three weeks and we have made progress in our effort to facilitate an effective path forward by obtaining one of the key components.
We have been working with Dr. Roger Harris, past Vice President of MRIGlobal, on an ongoing basis and through this relationship we have been able to gain access to a screening and data collection software, at no cost to the county, through Heart to Heart International and MRIGlobal.
Both organizations are well regarded in their field and have relationships with the Department of Defense. They have experience in responding to pandemics like Ebola with the same type of technology. Dr. Norman himself, our Secretary of KDHE, remarked positively on the two company’s credibility and reputation.
One of the features of the platform is it provides a self-assessment and guides people where to go should they show symptoms of Coronavirus.
An algorithm is used to manage key patients over time.
We have had measurable conversations with Kansas Department of Health and Environment and Bourbon County Emergency Management. Randy Cason, President of Ascension Via Christi and Becky Johnson, Public Health Department Nurse have been engaged. Community Health Centers of Southeast Kansas, our primary health provider, has been a critical component in the response to the COVID-19 pandemic and will also be an essential partner moving forward.
Our next steps will be to continue to reach out and engage our essential healthcare providers.
The new technology should be built and available to our community in the next week.