Area News

Child Abuse Prevention Training Online

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The month of April has shaped up to be a unique one: we’re observing Child Abuse Prevention Month mostly from the comfort of our own homes. As our communities continue to press pause and participate in social distancing, we’re encouraging you to take things One Day at a Time. While the current COVID-19 has dramatically impacted life as we know it, protecting kids doesn’t have to be an overwhelming process—in fact, there are protective measures we can take that can come as easy as taking a deep breath.

During this month it is important, now more than ever, to help people understand that safe, stable, and nurturing relationships and environments are necessary to ensure that children thrive. Everybody plays a part in preventing child abuse and neglect – everyone can make great childhoods happen. Small discreet actions can make a big difference in a child’s life—and a parent’s as well.

Kansas Children’s Service League (KCSL) is pleased to announce the Darkness to Light Stewards of Children child sexual abuse prevention training is now available online, for Kansas residents, through a grant administered by the Office of the Kansas Attorney General. This is a free 2.0 hour training.

 

Registration spaces are first-come-first-serve. You are encouraged to forward this opportunity to other PARENTS, EDUCATION and CHILD CARE professionals, and COMMUNITY VOLUNTEERS who work with children, churches, school staff, and area agencies.

Contact KCSL ([email protected]) with any questions or for directions on how to access the training opportunity.

We look forward to discussing steps we can take together to help keep kids safe!

Need local resources? Call any day, any time for FREE. We’re here to connect you to resources, answer any questions or just be a listening ear.

Government, Kansas

  KDA Marketing and Promotions Advisory Board Meets April 17

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Agriculture Marketing and Promotions Advisory Board to Meet Via Conference Call April 17

 

MANHATTAN, Kan. —   The Kansas Department of Agriculture’s Marketing and Promotions Advisory Board will meet at 10:00 a.m. on Friday, April 17. This is a regularly scheduled board meeting that will be held via conference call.

 

The mission of the KDA Agricultural Marketing, Advocacy and Outreach Team is to serve all Kansans through innovative programming and delivering solutions designed to create an environment that facilitates growth and expansion in agriculture while increasing pride in and awareness of the state’s largest industry — agriculture.

 

The meeting is open to the public. To request a copy of the agenda or directions on how to participate in the conference call, please contact Kerry Wefald, agriculture marketing director, at 785-564-6758 or [email protected].

 

Persons who require special accommodations must make their needs known at least two days prior to the meeting.

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WHO:            KDA Marketing and Promotions Advisory Board

 

WHAT:          Regular Board Meeting

 

WHEN:          10:00 a.m. on April 17, 2020
Obituary

Obituary of Phyllis Norris

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Phyllis Norris, 88, of Fort Scott, passed away at her home Saturday morning, April 11, 2020. She was born March 11, 1932, in Liberty, Kansas, the daughter of Archibald Warren and Hazel Johanna (Johnson) Austin.

She married Claude Wayne Norris on September 24, 1950, in Cherryvale, Kansas, he preceded her in death on April 30, 2017.

Phyllis attended the Mercy School of Nursing and later worked at the Newman-Young Clinic from 1959 to 1997. She was a member of the Church of Christ.

She is survived by a daughter, Jonni Stanton, and husband, Steve, two sons, Mike Norris and wife, Kathy, and Phillip Norris and wife, Debbie all of Fort Scott, a sister-in-law, Joycelyn Malone and husband, Keith, grandchildren, Jerod Stanton, Lindsey Gulager, Linda Cabuay, Lisa Davis, Megan Vincent and Andy Norris, and 12 great-grandchildren.

In addition to her husband, Claude, she was preceded in death by her parents.

Phyllis was cremated per her wishes.

Memorial services will be held at a later date under the direction of the Konantz-Cheney Funeral Home.

Memorials may be made in Phyllis’s name to The Beacon, Inc. contributions may be sent to, or left in the care of, the Konantz-Cheney Funeral Home at P.O. Box 309, 15 W. Wall Street, Fort Scott, Kansas 66701

The family encourages friends to sign Phyllis’s memorial book at the funeral home. Condolences may be submitted to the online guestbook at konantz-cheney.com.

Fort Scott, Schools

Honoring the Fort Scott High School Senior Class Tonight: Be The Light Campaign Drive By

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On Monday, April 13th, Fort Scott High School will join other school districts across our state and nation by participating in the Be The Light campaign.

This is to celebrate the  Fort Scott High School Senior class of 2020 and spring sports athletes, coaches, and families.

Many schools around the country have already participated in this, and several schools in the area participated Friday evening.

We have chosen to do this on Monday the 13th.

The lights at Frary Field, Fisher Park, the FSHS Tennis Courts, and the LaRoche baseball complex will go on at 8:20 pm for 20 minutes as a symbol we are thinking of them and we will eventually return to school and competition.

Persons hoping to witness this event are encouraged to drive by these venues and provide support by honking your car horn a time or two.

Participants are to remain in their vehicles in order to adhere to the social distancing guidelines.

Submitted by Jeff DeLaTorre

Athletic/Activities Director
Fort Scott High School
620 223-0600

 

Entertainment, Fort Scott

No Good Ol’ Days This Year, Next Year We Celebrate!

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Downtown Fort Scott in a prior Good Ol’ Days Celebration.

The annual Fort Scott event of Good Ol’ Days, the first weekend in June,  will not happen this year.

The event is provided by donations from local businesses and individuals, Shawn O’Brien, chairman of the Good Ol’ Days committee, said.

“With everything that has happened (the effects of the pandemic stay-at-home orders), with people losing their jobs and businesses going under, we didn’t feel we could ask for donations,” O’Brien said.

The group met last week, and made the decision then.

Members of the committee are O’Brien; Melissa Wise, treasurer; Cheryl Van Hoecke, treasurer; Tim Van Hoecke, in charge of vendors; Kayla Hall, secretary; Charlotte Thompson, in charge of logistics; Kelsey DeMott and ShayLynn Clements, in charge of kids activities and Janet Braun, “the guiding light,” O’Brien said.

The group meets monthly following the annual event, except July, to plan all the components that make up Good Ol’ Days.

Vendor registration, donations drive, putting entertainment in place, securing a carnival contract, planning kids activities are the tasks that require months of planning.

Next year the organizing committee will facilitate the event on June 4-5, 2021.

The theme, Family, Friends and Fun, will be held for next years Good Ol’ Days celebration.

“It would’ve been 40 years this year, we’ll celebrate the 40 years next year,” O’Brien said.

 

Bourbon County, K-State Extension

Suddenly in Charge: Teens Taking Care of Younger Children During Pandemic

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K-State Research and Extension Southwind District

Family Consumer Science News Column

Joy Miller

620-223-3720 or [email protected]

 

K-State launches a program to help teens and tweens who take care of younger children. 

With the closing of schools and preschools due to coronavirus, parents may be in sudden need of someone to assist with care for young children.  Teens and tweens may be asked to help look after younger siblings or take of children for a neighbor or friend as parents continue to work. 

K-State Research and Extension agents across the state predicted that youth may become responsible for others, creating the program “Suddenly in Charge”.  This program includes tools and resources for those who are new to taking care of others, those who have been doing it for years, and parents who want to be prepared. 

Suddenly in Charge has four sections: Safety, Activities, Food & Recipes, and For Adults.  The Safety resources currently has two tools available for use.  The first is a Home Safety checklist with a variety of categories to review –security, emergency, first aid, general home safety, watching young children, and items to discuss.  The other tool is a Babysitter Information sheet which includes information you need to know if you had to call 911, who to contact in case of an emergency, and personal information pertaining to the children.  The sheet also includes a space for notes about snacks and meals, screen–time, nap and bedtime routine, rules, and anything else that is important.    

The Suddenly in Charge program is available at https://www.ksre.k-state.edu/families/suddenly-in-charge/.  Information is also available in Spanish at https://www.ksre.k-state.edu/families/spanish.html.  Other information available on the website includes guides for caring for young children, Developmental Milestone publications, or Building Baby’s Brain publications.   

A reminder K-State Research and Extension also has a COVID-19 Extension page to help you navigate through this challenging situation. Resources included on this page are Agriculture, Business, Children’s Education, Family, Finances, Foods Safety and Nutrition, Health, Safety, Wellness, and recommended links about COVID-19 at https://www.ksre.k-state.edu/news/stories/about-us/covid-19-extension.html.   

Follow us on Facebook @southwindextensiondistrict, visit southwind.ksu.edu, or contact us with your questions at 620-223-3720.  

 

Bourbon County, K-State Extension

Plan now for summer your summer fly control strategy for beef cattle

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Christopher Petty, M.S.
Extension Agent
Livestock Production and Forage Management
K-State Research and Extension
Southwind Extension District
210 S. National
Fort Scott, KS 66701
(620) 223-3720 Work
(620)224-6031 Cell
[email protected]

As temperatures begin to warm up, this spring, you may begin to notice an increase in insect populations. Now is a good time to consider what fly control measures you may want to put into practice for your cow herd.

Flies are irritating to cattle, and cause loses in performance and weight gain. Fortunately for farmers and ranchers, there are a variety of options for fly control. You can select from pour on insect control measures, foggers, ear tags, and insecticides in livestock feed. It is easy to find an option that will work well in your own farming or ranching operation.

Foggers are a good way to regularly get close to your cattle, and get them accustomed to human interaction. Pour on insect control works well if you also need to control lice. Ear tags and feed products are popular options. These choices are popular on many farms and ranches, but there are some considerations to be made when choosing either of these two options.

With ear tags, it’s very important to choose a tag with a different active ingredient, each year. Continually using the same ear tags will quickly cause resistance in localized fly populations. When working cattle during the fall, it is very important to remove the the old fly control ear tags, and dispose of them in a closed container. Leaving old tags laying around, or in your cow’s ears, may also cause long term resistance issues.

With feed through insecticides (products mixed directly in feed or mineral mixes), you need to be able to begin feeding before flies become a problem. Also, you need to be able to feed these products consistently throughout the season. Inconsistent feeding patterns, or using feed through products after the occurrence of high fly populations, will decrease their effectiveness.

This summer, K-State Research and Extension will begin year three of a research project to determine if all-natural spice products included in livestock mineral have effective fly control properties. This ongoing project is taking place at the Kansas State University Bressner Pasture, located in the Southwind Extension District near Yates Center, Kansas. These proprietal spice mixes often include things like garlic, cloves or cinnamon. It will be exciting to see if these mineral products can be successfully included into a farmer or ranchers fly control tool box!

Bourbon County Local News