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County Meets at 10 a.m. Oct. 3 to Discuss Mercy Hospital Closing
Agenda
Bourbon County Commission Room
1st Floor, County Courthouse
210 S. National Avenue
Fort Scott, KS 66701
Regular meetings are Tuesdays starting at 9:00
Special meeting date: October 3, 2018 at 10 a.m.
1st District-Lynne Oharah Minutes: Approved: _______________
2nd District-Jeff Fischer Corrected: _______________
3rd District-Nick Ruhl Adjourned at: _______________
County Clerk-Kendell Mason
10:00 a.m.-Special Commissioners Meeting regarding Mercy Hospital.
Justifications for Executive Session:
Personnel matters of individual non-elected personnel
Consultation with an attorney for the body or agency which would be deemed privileged in the attorney-client relationship
Matters relating to employer-employee negotiations whether or not in consultation with the representative(s) of the body or agency
Confidential data relating to financial affairs or trade secrets of corporations, partnerships, trusts, and individual proprietorships
Preliminary discussions relating to the acquisition of real property
Matters relating to the security of a public body or agency, public building or facility or the information system of a public body or agency, if the discussion of such matters at an open meeting would jeopardize the security of such public body, agency, building, facility or information system
Gordon Parks Celebration Oct. 4-7
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Thursday October 4th
PHOTO EXHIBIT in the Lunt Lobby of the Fine Arts Center. The Merl Humphrey Photography-sponsored photo contest will be on display with the theme of “What Inspires Me.” Winners will be announced at the Chamber Coffee.
8:00 a.m. – 9:00 a.m. — Ft. Scott Chamber of Commerce Coffee at the Gordon Parks Museum.
10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. —“Leadbelly” film in the Gordon Parks Museum. FREE.
Friday October 5th
8:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.: Registration open outside of the Museum.
9:05 a.m. – 9:50 a.m.: “Leadbelly and Irene: Heartbeat of the Musical Frontier” with Megan Felt. Megan Felt, Program Director at the Lowell Milken Center in Fort Scott, created this short documentary on Huddie Ledbetter when she was a student at Uniontown High School. FSCC Ellis Fine Arts Center/Gordon Parks Museum. FREE
10:05-11:30: “A Conversation with Roger Mosley.” The 2018 “Choice of Weapons Award” honoree, Mr. Mosley played Huddie Ledbetter in the Gordon Parks-directed film “Leadbelly” and starred in the popular television series, “Magnum P.I.” Discussion led by Karole Graham, Big Mabel in “The Learning Tree” and Laura May in “Leadbelly.” FSCC Ellis Fine Arts Center/Theatre. FREE
12:00 p.m. – 1:15 p.m.—Grab a sack lunch from the lobby ($8-purchase that day) and join us in the museum for PARKS POETRY OUT LOUD, sponsored by the Bourbon County Arts Council. Poetry Out Loud is a contest & reading of selected poems of Gordon Parks. ANYONE may enter. No preregistration –just show up! Prize money of $100 (First Place), $75 (Second Place), and $50 (Third Place). (The eight poems are on the gordonparkscenter.org website.) FSCC Ellis Fine Arts Center/Gordon Parks Museum. FREE
2:00 p.m. Guided Trolley Tour of Gordon Parks’ Fort Scott. Meet at the entrance of the FSCC Ellis Fine Arts Center. See the places in Fort Scott that are part of Gordon Parks’ history. Fee: $7.
5:00 p.m.—Meet and Greet at Sharkey’s Pub. Drop by and meet Roger Mosley and Karole Graham, “Big Mabel” in The Learning Tree.”
7:00 p.m.—Friday Night Concert in the Park featuring the music of blues guitarist Lem Sheppard, Heritage Park Pavilion at 1st and Main Street in downtown Fort Scott. Food Vendors will be open at 5:00 p.m.
Bring your lawn chair! FREE
Saturday, October 6th
9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.: Registration open outside of the Museum.
9:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. – Kid’s Art Workshop–Art activities for kids age 5-12. FSCC Ellis Fine Arts Center/Meeting Rooms. Fee: $5-payable the day of the workshop.
9:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. – Dimensional Art Workshop-Museum $10 Participants will experience creating a one-of-a-kind piece of artwork using photography, pastels and/or watercolors. The finished work will be printed on 11 x 17 paper. Gordon Parks used this technique in his later years and created beautiful images by creating a background either with pastels, watercolor, etc. He then used a found object, lit the entire scene on two levels and took a photograph of it. FSCC Ellis Fine Arts Center/Gordon Parks Museum. Fee: $10-payable the day of the workshop.
12:00—1:30—Lunch on your own.
1:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. – “Gordon Parks, Jazz, and Photography,“ with John Mason, Associate Professor, Associate Chair, University of Virginia Department of History. Mason is working on “Gordon Parks and American Democracy,” a book about the ways in which Parks’ Life magazine photo-essays on poverty and the black liberation struggle and the books that he published during the civil rights era made him one of the era’s most significant interpreters of the black experience. FREE
3:00 p.m. – 4:15 p.m.—Guided Trolley Tour of Gordon Parks’ Fort Scott. Meet at the entrance of the FSCC Ellis Fine Arts Center. See the places in Fort Scott that are part of Gordon Parks’ history. Fee: $7. 7:00 p.m. – “Celebration Tribute Dinner.” Dinner and evening of tribute; presentation of the 2018 “Gordon Parks Choice of Weapons Award” to Roger E. Mosley and a Celebration 15th-year Anniversary retrospective. Liberty Theatre, 113 S. Main. All seats reserved. Fee: $30.00. (Reserve by Wed., Oct. 3)
Sunday, October 7th
10:00 a.m.—Breakfast at Nate’s Place. Enjoy breakfast at one of Fort Scott’s finest! Located on the corner of National & 8th Street, you’re sure to find something on the menu to please. Check it out at: lyonstwinmansions.com/nates-place-restaurant. (No ticket required-everyone pays for their own)
Obituary of David Hornaday
DAVID LEE HORNADAY
David Lee Hornaday, 86, passed away Sunday, September 23, 2018, at his home in Moreno Valley, California.
He was born April 8, 1932, in Linn County, Kansas, the son of Compton Alvis and Eva Galora (Groseclose) Hornaday.
He married Eleanor Louise Scheel, and after thirty-three years of marriage, she preceded him in death on October 26, 1988.
David was an electrical engineer and worked for Pacific Bell for over thirty years.
Survivors include his two sons, Jeff Hornaday and his wife Alma, Al Hornaday and his wife Maria; his five grandchildren, including Carlos Felix, A.J., Alexandro, David, and Samuel Hornaday; and his two great-grandchildren.
Funeral services will be 2:00 p.m. Saturday, October 13, 2018, at the Konantz-Cheney Funeral Home with burial following at the Evergreen Cemetery. The family will receive friends beginning at 1:00 p.m. prior to service time on Saturday. Condolences may be submitted to the online guestbook at konantz-cheney.com.
Medicare Update Season Is Here
Medicare Annual Open Enrollment, What Should You Do?
Medicare Part D (prescription) annual open enrollment is around the corner.
This nationwide enrollment period runs from October 15 thru December 7.
In the state of Kansas, ten companies provide Medicare Part D totaling 26 different plans to choose from in 2019. Monthly premiums range from $16.20 to $99.50 a month. The deductible upper limit is $415 but ranges from $0-$415.
If you are a Medicare beneficiary enrolled in a Part D prescription plan, you may have already received your Annual Notice of Change for your plan in the mail. The notice will include information regarding any changes to your current plan such as monthly premium, deductible, and coverage of your medications. These notices may not include everything you need to know such as a change in medication formulary or change of in-network pharmacies. Carefully review them. If you do nothing, you will continue in your current plan.
Each year insurance companies providing Part D plans make adjustments regarding monthly premiums, deductibles, and coinsurance and copayments.
Often people are happy with their current plan and can afford the increases, but there may be an opportunity to save money. For many years, probably since 2006 when Part D plans started, Humana Walmart RX has been the lowest premium plan.
It is great for those who do not take any prescription medications but enrolled to have coverage and avoid a penalty in the future.
Two new plans are being offered in 2019 with even lower premiums than Humana. The difference is $90, something beneficiaries may not know if they don’t evaluate all the plans each year.
Having a plan comparison completed will let you know what to expect financially for the upcoming year and make sure your 4 C’s are covered.
The 4 C’s to review in coverage are:
- Cost. How much have you spent on premiums, deductibles, and copayments this year? How will these amounts change next year?
- Coverage. Does your plan cover all of the medications you believe you will need next year? Do you want to get your health care and drug coverage through one single plan? If so, you should review your Medicare Advantage options.
- Convenience. To what extent will your plan restrict access to certain medications you need, such as through prior authorization or quantity limits? Can you use the plan at the pharmacy of your choice? Can you get your prescriptions through the mail if you prefer to?
- Customer service. Is your plan responsive when you have a question? Does it have a high-quality rating as displayed in the Medicare Plan Finder?
The Southwind Extension District provides free, unbiased, confidential assistance by a Certified SHICK Counselor to help you compare all 26 plans, providing you an estimate of your prescription costs for the upcoming year.
Last year 50% of the beneficiaries I assisted who were new to Medicare or enrolled in a new plan saved over $440,000 dollars.
It is also an opportunity if you have questions about how Medicare works, advantage plans (Part C), or supplement insurance plans.
Those new to Medicare or have questions about Medicare coverage may call the Extension office to discuss Medicare any time during the year. I can also assist you in understanding how Medicare does or does not work with employer insurance or Marketplace health insurance plans.
Evaluation of income and resources are also available to determine eligibility financial assistance programs such as Extra Help and Medicare Savings Program.
For an appointment, call me at 620-223-3720 or email: [email protected]. In person appointments will be scheduled at our Extension offices located in Erie, Iola, Fort Scott, and Yates Center.
K-State Grazing School Offered In Edna
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National 4-H Week Proclaimed in Kansas
Gov. Colyer proclaims National 4-H Week in Kansas, inspiring kids ‘to do’
The event concludes with 48 Hours of Community Service on Oct. 13-14
MANHATTAN, Kan. – Kansas Gov. Jeff Colyer signed a proclamation on Monday recognizing Oct. 7-13 as National 4-H Week in Kansas, clearing the way for a week-long celebration of America’s largest youth development organization.
4-H reaches nearly 75,000 young people across Kansas. Colyer’s proclamation notes that National 4-H Week “highlights the remarkable 4-H youth in Kansas who work each day to make a positive impact on those around them.”
The Kansas 4-H program is delivered through K-State Research and Extension and its network of local extension offices. Amy Sollock, the southwest area 4-H youth development specialist, notes that the organization empowers youth with skills to lead in their life and career.
“4-H was founded on the belief that when kids are empowered to pursue their passions and chart their own course, their unique skills grow and take shape, helping them to become true leaders in their lives, careers, and communities,” she said.
In addition to the youth members, there are nearly 11,000 people who volunteer their time to Kansas 4-H by creating the life experiences that “Inspire Kids to Do” for their communities, which is the theme for National 4-H Week.
“4-H Youth Development has been a part of Kansas communities since 1905,” said Wade Weber, the state program leader for Kansas 4-H. “Today more than ever, 4-H provides a unique opportunity for youth to discover their passions, build their skills, and grow confidence with the support of caring adults and dynamic partnerships with local and K-State based resources.
He adds: “4-H youth build essential life skills like problem-solving, teamwork, communication, and decision making that enable them to become tomorrow’s leaders by doing leadership today.”
National 4-H Week in Kansas wraps up Oct. 13-14 with the fifth annual 48 Hours of 4-H community service event taking place across the state. 4-Hers and volunteers plan community service events sometime during that weekend to symbolize the organization’s commitment to ‘doing.’
“Kansas 4-Hers are active in their community year-round, but 48 Hours of 4-H is an opportunity to highlight the 4-H members and volunteers who are ‘doing’ all across Kansas,” Sollock said. “In 4-H, kids roll up their sleeves and do with their hands. Their experiences grow the confidence they need for life and career. 4-Hers do with a purpose, lead by example and empower their peers to do the same.”
More information about 48 Hours of 4-H is available online. On social media, look for the hashtag, #484H.
For more information about National 4-H Week, visit 4-H.org. To join Kansas 4-H and the movement to Inspire Kids to Do, visit Kansas4-H.org.
Public Comments Welcome on Kansas Gas Service Rate Increase
KCC to host a public hearing on Kansas Gas Service rate increase request
Topeka – The Kanas Corporation Commission (KCC) will hold a public hearing on Thursday, October 4 to receive input from Kansas Gas Service customers on the company’s rate increase request. The public hearing will begin at 6 p.m. at the Washburn Institute of Technology, Main Conference Center, Building A, located at 5724 SW Huntoon in Topeka.
Attendees will have the opportunity to learn more about the proposed rate change and make comments to KCC Commissioners. Members of the public can attend in person or watch a live broadcast of the hearing on the Commission’s website: www.kcc.ks.gov. For those unable to watch live, a recording of the hearing will be available on the Commission’s website beginning October 11.
The application, filed by Kansas Gas Service in June, requests a $42.7 million dollar net base rate increase. If approved, the average residential customer’s natural gas bill will increase by $5.67 per month, an increase of 10 percent. A complete copy of Kansas Gas Service’s application and supporting testimony is available on the Commission’s website.
The Commission will accept public comments through 5 p.m. December 14, 2018. In addition to attending the public hearing, there are three convenient ways to submit a comment:
- Go to the KCC website (www.kcc.ks.gov) and click on the “Your Opinion Matters” link to submit a comment.
2) Send a written letter to the Kansas Corporation Commission, Office of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, 1500 SW Arrowhead Road, Topeka, KS 66604-4027.
Be sure to reference Docket No. 18-KGSG-560-RTS.
3) Call the Commission’s Public Affairs office at 1-800-662-0027 or 785-271-3140.
Fort Scott Landbank Meeting Canceled For Today, Oct. 2
The Land Bank meeting that was scheduled for October 2nd, 2018 at 5:00 p.m. has been canceled. It will be rescheduled at a later date.
City of Fort Scott Responds to Mercy Shut-Down
First off, the City would like to recognize the incredible effort by all of the Mercy employees and it’s local leaders.
1886.
That is the year the first Mercy hospital opened and we have been blessed to have their services. The tireless effort of these employees proves the strong community character of Fort Scott.
What makes Fort Scott a great place is the people. Our people have seen this town thrive, face challenges, and rebound like never before.
Fort Scott continues to see remarkable industry growth with the addition of over 800 jobs within the last 5 years. Over a 24% increase in the hourly median wage. In addition to the commercial investment with employer expansions, the residential investment has grown by 45% within the last two years.
Fort Scott is home to generations of families.
People who have been raised here and are returning home to raise their families.
People who have gone to the Community College here and choose Fort Scott as their home.
We have a district-wide student to teacher ratio of 13 to 1. An aquatic center which opened in 2012. One of the top 10 best public golf courses in the state. A 360-acre lake for fishing, boating, and recreation. Over 7 miles of bike trails within Gunn Park which is home to 7 shelter houses, 2 fishing lakes, playground areas, and a 9 hole Frisbee golf course. A state of the art baseball facility featuring a 1,200 seat stadium, 2 indoor batting cages, clubhouse with lockers and lounge, turf infield and grass outfield.
Fort Scott has tremendous community pride. The City intends to support our residents in every way possible through this transition.
Robert Uhler, Community Development Director, Rachel Pruitt, Economic Development Director, and Dave Martin, City Manager are actively working on solutions and have been pleased with the outreach of interested parties.
Our citizens work hard and deserve affordable healthcare. We are confident Fort Scott will overcome this challenge and continue to be a great place to work and raise families.
Respectively –
Economic Development
City of Fort Scott
Bourbon County Sheriff’s Office Daily Reports October 2
One Person Can Make a Difference: Irena Sendler’s Story Told to Children
It’s been 19 years since the story of Irena Sendler, the rescuer from death of 2,500 Jews in Poland, was discovered by three Uniontown High School students in Norm Conard’s history class. The Jews were being killed in Europe by the Nazi Germans.
“It was September 23, 1999, when we found the clipping that day in Norm’s class,” Megan Felt said. That clipping mentioned Sendler as one of a few people in Europe at the time who stepped up to save the Jews.
The students, Elizabeth Cambers Hutton, and Sabrina Coons Murphy along with Felt, did a history project on Irena Sendler that changed the lives of many, including Sendler who was still living at the time.
Now one of the “rescuers of the rescuer”, Megan Stewart Felt, is featured in a book on Sendler that features she and her daughter, Blair, in re-telling the story for younger children.
The children’s book, self-published by the Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes, is entitled Mommy Who Was Irena Sendler?, by Cathy Werling.
Werling is an employee of the center and Felt is the program director of the center, located at Wall and Main Street in downtown Fort Scott.
“Cathy surprised me with her idea of telling the story,” Felt said. “I think it’s special to tell about Irena, involving my daughter, Blair.”
Blair, who is 8-years-old, is “very excited,” Felt said. “She has been practicing her cursive handwriting to sign books for the family,” she said with a smile.
While Werling was writing the book, Blair came to the center and got a tour from Werling.
“I hadn’t told her much about Irena and the holocaust,” Felt said.
Werling explained the story in a way that Blair could understand, Felt said.
“We continued to have conversations about Irena and…. how one person can make a difference,” Felt said. “I want her to know that even though she is a girl in Southeast Kansas, she has the power to make a difference and being a positive change in the world. That’s the goal of the center.”
Werling agreed.
“When I got involved with the center, I found the work of the center is to help people understand that one person can make a difference,” she said.
“Young children need role models to show what you can do in circumstances where someone needs to step up,” Werling said.
“If we can help them be a positive force, that’s my mission, to see that,” she said. “Everyday people like them that can have a powerful impact.
Mommy Who Was Irena Sendler? is the third book that Werling has written on unsung heroes at the center.
Area elementary students come to the center for book readings at their appropriate level.
The children are then encouraged to choose to make a difference in someone’s life.
“It’s moving to see the little kids become involved in the stories on unsung heroes,” Felt said. “You hear them saying ‘I saw a little girl who sits alone. I can sit with her.'”
Werling uses a “hook” in her children’s books to get the child interested, then the story is told, the book ends with how the child can “be like that person,” Werling said.
In her latest book, Werling has additional pages of facts on the story, including photos.
“I want them to understand that the story is true,” Werling said.
The illustrator of the book is Maggie Raguse, Werling’s sister-in-law, who is a professional artist.
The book Mommy Who Was Irena Sendler? will be published by the end of October 2018, then will be for sale at the center, Amazon.com and Barnes and Noble bookstores, Werling said.