COVID-19, Government, Kansas

KDHE amends travel quarantine list

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States, countries removed

 

TOPEKA – The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) has removed two states and three countries from its travel quarantine list: North Dakota, South Dakota, Andorra, Belgium and Czechia. Those who have travelled during the below dates, as well as those who have been on a cruise or attended any out-of-state mass gatherings with 500 or more where individuals do not socially distance and wear masks, will need to quarantine.

 

This list is effective for all persons returning to or entering Kansas on the effective dates.

 

  • Traveled to or from South Dakota between November 4 – November 17.
  • Traveled to or from Belgium and Czechia between November 4 – November 17.
  • Traveled to or from North Dakota between October 21 – November 17.
  • Traveled to or from the country of Andorra between October 21 – November 17.
  • Attendance at any out-of-state mass gatherings of 500 or more where individuals do not socially distance (6 feet) and wear a mask.
  • Been on a cruise ship or river cruise on or after March 15.

 

“The removal of states from our list isn’t cause for celebration,” said Dr. Lee Norman, KDHE Secretary. “We base our list on new case rates by population size and unfortunately, Kansas’ numbers are increasing significantly. Practice social distancing, wear a mask, stay home if you’re sick, avoid large gatherings. Each one of us is responsible for our actions.”

 

Mass gatherings are defined as any event or convening that brings together 500 or more persons in a single room or space at the same time such as an auditorium, stadium, arena, large conference room, meeting hall, theater or any other confined indoor or outdoor space. This includes parades, fairs and festivals. Mass gatherings does not include normal operations of airports, bus and train stations, medical facilities, libraries, shopping malls and centers, or other spaces where 500 or more persons may be in transit. It also does not include typical office environments, schools, restaurants, factories or retail/grocery stores where large numbers of people are present, but it is unusual for them to be within 6 feet of one another for more than 10 minutes.

 

For more information on COVID-19, please visit the KDHE website at www.kdhe.ks.gov/coronavirus.

Fort Scott, Health Care, Schools

Heather Geiger: New FSMS Nurse

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Heather Geiger, RN. Submitted photo.
Heather Geiger, RN, is a new nurse at Fort Scott Middle School.
She was born and raised in Fort Scott, graduating from FSHS in 2002.
Geiger then received an Associate’s Degree of Applied Science in Nursing from Fort Scott Community College in May 2008.
She worked at Mercy Hospital for over 10 years, until they closed in 2018.
“I have three children: Caleb, a senior at FSHS; Cody, a freshman at FSHS; and Cooper, in kindergarten. I have been married to my husband, Thaine, since 2003,” Geiger said.
Geiger began a career in nursing because she liked helping people.
“I decided to become a nurse, a couple of years after graduating high school, because the medical field was something that I found very interesting and I knew that I would always enjoy taking care of people, ” she said.
Her duties?
“As a school nurse, I will be helping all of the students with any medical needs and always be available to help them with anything that they might need,” she said.
“This year, we are blessed to have a nurse at each school: Stacy Sauerwein at Winfield Scott, Tausha Platt at Eugene Ware and Missy Reynolds at FSHS,” Geiger said.
Geiger is replacing Erin Beisley, who worked at both the middle school and high school last year.
She started at the middle school last week, but began training for the position a few weeks ago, she said.
“CHC (Community Health Center) employs the nursing staff now, and that is how we have more positions available,” she said.
Bourbon County, Business, Fort Scott Chamber of Commerce

Support Small Business Saturday Nov. 28

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Small Business Saturday is Coming!
Shop local on Saturday, November 28th!
As a small business, it’s tough to compete with Black Friday deals. Consider sharing some background on why Small Business Saturday is important, and offer an incentive to bring customers through the door. Whether it’s a discount, BOGO, or free gift, customers will appreciate the offer and return the appreciation by shopping with you.
We hope to see you on Saturday, 11/28
Discounts, Chamber Buck Drawings & Much more!
when you shop in store on 11/28/2020
More Details to come on Participating Retailers
#SHOPSMALLBIZSAT
The Holidays are happier when we share them with you!
BRIGHTEN UP THE HOLIDAYS WITH YOUR SUPPORT!
The Holidays look a little different this year, but we can still make them our own. This holiday season, we encourage customers to support “Shop Small Businesses Saturday, November 28th!
Obituary

Obituary of James Shelton

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James Douglas Shelton, age 73, a resident of Ft. Scott, Kansas, passed away Friday, November 13, 2020, at the Medicalodge in Ft. Scott.

He was born January 28, 1947, in Littleton, Colorado, the son of John Newton Shelton and Geraldine Marsh Shelton.  James graduated from the J. B. Conant High School in Hoffman Estates, Illinois and later attended the University of Kansas.

He had worked as a carpenter.  He enjoyed woodworking and being outside.  He also liked to watch educational programs on television.

 

Survivors include three daughters, Jackie Carillo and Jennifer Schneider, both of Tucson, Arizona and Tammi Martin, of Greenfield, Wisconsin and four grandchildren.  Also surviving are his mother, Geraldine Shelton of Ft. Scott, five brothers, Larry (Cathy) Shelton, of Ft. Scott, Steven (Roxanne) Shelton, of Woodstock, Illinois, Darryl (Deb) Shelton, of Gardner, Kansas, Don (Terri) Shelton, and Kevin Shelton, all of Ft. Scott and a sister, Sharon Shelton, also of Ft. Scott.

He was preceded in death by his father and an infant brother, Michael Shelton.

 

Rev. Chuck Russell will conduct graveside services at 11:00 A.M. Thursday, November 19th at the Clarksburg Cemetery.

The family will receive friends at the Cheney Witt Chapel on Thursday from 10:00 A.M. until leaving for the cemetery at 10:45 A.M.

Services are under the direction of the Cheney Witt Chapel, 201 S. Main, Ft. Scott, Kansas.  Words of remembrance may be submitted to the online guestbook at cheneywitt.com.

Bourbon County, K-State Extension

4-H Game of Democracy 

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Carla Nemecek is Southwind District Director and agent.

Submitted by: Carla Nemecek, Southwind Extension District Director 

 

The Southwind Extension District Iola Office is currently in the process of relocating from the Allen County Courthouse to 1006 N. State Street in Iola. While the move was unexpected, the new building is more visible and accessible to the public and we are looking forward to possibilities.

Moving is good for cleaning and each day brings a new discovery of informative and historical Extension publications. Most recently, the 1966 National 4-H Club Foundation “Game of Democracy” surfaced and I can’t help but be amazed at how relevant the information is today.

The forward states “Every phase of our daily life and the lives of those about us is touched by government. We ask our government to protect our well-being and it demands that we insure the well-being of others.” Additionally, “The 4-H program is often referred to as a democracy in action. 4-H teaches citizenship responsibility to its members in a democratic climate. Everyone is born a citizen, but citizenship needs to be learned.”

While the box, cards and instructions are more than 50 years old, the ideology of the game remains steadfast with 4-H. The Game of Democracy is intended to simulate learning experiences to help adolescents learn about our democratic society, and Kansas 4-H currently offers leadership and citizenship opportunities through work in 4-H clubs and project learning experiences.

If you want your family to explore ways to be involved with the community while gaining valuable hands on life skills then now is the time to join 4-H in the Southwind Extension District.

There are 21 4-H clubs in Allen, Bourbon, Neosho and Woodson Counties with club leaders who are motivated to teach your kids science, technology, engineering and math skills while involving them in club and project meetings that demonstrate leadership.

The Southwind District is currently celebrating our annual 4-H achievements and I continue to be impressed by the volume of community service that our clubs give back to local communities.

We have all been affected by the global pandemic, and sometimes I’m not even confident in where my workday or week will lead me. However, I know for certain that the 4-H program in the Southwind District is a strong and vibrant program with much to offer for families with rural or urban backgrounds and families who are interested in contributing to more vibrant local communities.

4-H really is a game of democracy – and while it has changed since 1966, 4-H continues to equip our youth with the skills it takes to lead our communities into a future full of hope and promise.

For more information about joining 4-H, visit www.southwind.k-state.edu and find the Southwind Extension District on Facebook.

Government, Kansas

Resident Death at Kansas Correctional Facility

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TOPEKA, Kansas – An Ellsworth Correctional Facility (ECF) resident who died Sunday, November15 had tested positive for COVID-19. This is third resident death from ECF, and the tenth resident death related to COVID-19 for the department.

 

The resident was moved October 26 to the Lansing Correctional Facility (LCF) COVID-19 Management Unit (CMU) after testing positive for the virus, and then transported from LCF to the hospital.

 

The resident was a 68-year-old white male with underlying medical concerns that contributed to his condition. He was serving a life sentence for first degree murder

 

The Ellsworth Correctional Facility opened in 1988. Serving only males, the Central Unit provides housing for 820 multi-custody residents and the East Unit provides housing for 95 minimum-custody residents.

 

For current information on COVID-19 in Kansas, and to sign up for updates, go to the KDHE COVID-19 Resource Center at kdhe.ks.gov/coronavirus.  For information on KDOC’s response to COVID-19, visit https://www.doc.ks.gov/kdoc-coronavirus-updates.

 

Bourbon County, Entertainment

Night To Shine Prom For Special Needs People

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Fort Scott Nazarene to Host Night to Shine Prom for People with Special Needs
Sponsored by Tim Tebow Foundation
ORGANIZERS WOULD APPRECIATE YOUR CONSIDERATION OF CORPORATE SPONSORSHIP FOR THIS EVENT!
CLICK HERE TO EMAIL YOUR INFORMATION!
Name of the event:
Night to Shine Prom
Registration is NOW OPEN
Date: February 12th, 2021
Hosted by Fort Scott Nazarene Church, sponsored by the Tim Tebow Foundation.
We’re also looking for volunteers to make this event even better and would greatly appreciate your assistance. Volunteer today.
COVID-19, Fort Scott, Opinion, Schools

Letter To The Editor:You Can Help Us Keep School Open

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Dear Friends,

The topic of Covid-19 is so complex, and so controversial… that brevity becomes difficult when discussing it. However, I will keep this as brief as possible.

As an educator in our community, I have a unique perspective when it comes to the current situation with Covid-19. I visit with my colleagues and friends that are teachers and administrators, and it becomes so very clear how much EVERYONE wants to keep our kids in school all day, every day.

However, we feel like we are bailing water out of the Titanic with 5-gallon buckets, so to speak. Cases across the country but especially in rural areas are spiking, and Fort Scott is no different. And we are only beginning the most brutal part of the year in terms of illness. Any given year we have a lot of kids and staff out with illness over the winter… so common sense suggests that the worst is yet to come.

Why do I bring these things up? I am humbly asking for your help. I love our small town and the people in it. That is why Nikki and I have chosen to raise our family here. The folks in this community are honest, loyal, and generous. We all have it in us because of the way we were raised. It is time to draw upon those values.

WE NEED YOUR HELP in keeping our schools open. It is true that, thank God, children are not affected as severely by Covid-19 as are older people. That bodes well for our students, BUT NOT OUR TEACHERS.

We have to have our teachers healthy in order to keep our schools open. When teachers are ill, or in quarantine, the burden falls to substitutes, and we simply do not have enough. If schools are forced to go hybrid or remote, it will be because we cannot staff classrooms due to teacher/substitute shortages.

What does this have to do with you? The medical community is telling us that mitigating actions such as social distancing, wearing masks, and limiting the size of gatherings works when it comes to preventing the spread of Covid-19. These are the people on the front lines!

My friends, I share skepticism with many of you when it comes to what the media is telling us about this virus. I believe the commerce of fear is completely out of line and, quite frankly, evil.

Our theme for the school year at St. Mary’s Catholic School is BE NOT AFRAID. We are not scared of this virus or anything else, and we move forward exercising the virtue of FORTITUDE in the way we live our lives. But along with fortitude comes PRUDENCE.

God gave us intelligent minds to look after ourselves and others. As St. Augustine said, “Pray as though everything depended on God. Work as though everything depended on you.”

YOU CAN HELP US KEEP SCHOOLS OPEN. We desperately NEED you to help us keep schools open!

Regardless of how deadly you think this virus is, the bottom line is that if enough school staff become ill or are in quarantine, your children are going to be attending school remotely and that causes incredible challenges for modern families with both parents working, myself included.

PLEASE find it in your hearts to use prudence in your behavior and help us quell the spread of Covid-19.

Wear a mask in public (we all hate it, but it’s such a small sacrifice to make for others!). Use social distancing. Use good common sense. Lets all band together, work together, for the good of our kids, our families, and our community!

Thank you for hearing me out. May God bless our community and our families.

Peace Be With You,

Josh Regan

Bourbon County Local News