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The Fort Scott Police Department Daily Reports Oct. 1
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Council on Medicaid Expansion Meets
Governor launches first meeting of bipartisan Council on Medicaid Expansion
Governor Laura Kelly’s call for a bipartisan, Kansas-specific plan to expand Medicaid coverage took an important step forward Monday with the first meeting of the Governor’s Council on Medicaid Expansion.
“Many Kansans struggle to cover the costs of basic health care. Some people can’t afford coverage at all. The status quo is not working for Kansans,” Kelly said. “No family should have to choose between health coverage and paying the mortgage.”
Medicaid expansion would provide access to affordable healthcare for approximately 150,000 Kansans who fall in the “coverage gap,” where an individual does not qualify for Medicaid, but does not make enough to afford healthcare.
In the 2019 legislative session, Governor Kelly presented a Medicaid expansion plan with bipartisan support that mirrored a similar bill that passed both chambers in 2017, but the bill was ultimately vetoed by then-Governor Sam Brownback.
Last session the House of Representatives passed the Governor’s bill, but the Senate did not allow a vote. Instead, the Senate promised to vote on a Medicaid expansion bill in the early months of the 2020 legislative session.
“As I’ve made clear, Medicaid expansion tops my 2020 priority list,” Kelly said. “I was encouraged that both chambers and both parties ended the last session in agreement: 2020 will be the year we finally get this done.
“After all the years Kansans have had to wait for Medicaid expansion, we must get this right.
“That’s why we need some kind of ‘compass’ to help prevent things from veering too far off course should unvetted, risky policies surface at the end of the process. I hope whatever you come up with can be used as one tool to help evaluate whether various ideas move us closer to — or further away from — our desired outcomes as a state.”
Governor Kelly asked the Council to focus on two questions:
- What do we need Medicaid expansion to achieve for Kansas?
- What can we learn from other expansion states that will help — or hinder — those goals?
“Good public policy is the product of thoughtful, bipartisan discussions, supported by data-driven decision-making. That’s the conversation I am asking this Council to have,” Kelly said.
Among discussed items during the initial Council meeting:
- A review of the Medicaid expansion landscape across the U.S., with a focus on the fiscal and health impacts associated with expansion as well the different policy levers used in implementation. Overall, expansion states saw a substantial decline in the uninsured rate for non-elderly adults, as well as improved financial and health outcomes for recipients.
- An overview of the Kansas Medicaid system, KanCare, and the promising impact of expansion on access to preventative and behavioral healthcare for low-income Kansans.
- Presentations by experts from Montana and Ohio on the economic and health outcomes associated with expansion. Montana found that Medicaid made it easier for residents to find work, generated about $30 million in yearly cost savings, and increased access to care for veterans and their families. Ohio saw similar benefits, noting expansion’s role increasing the state’s capacity for behavioral health services and decreasing medical debt for enrollees by half.
The Governor’s Council on Medicaid Expansion’s next meeting is Oct. 29.
For access to the handouts, slides, Executive Order and other materials, go to: https://governor.kansas.gov/council-on-medicaid-expansion/
Grants To Help Families Prevent Need for Foster Care
Department for Children and Families Awards New Family First Prevention Grants
Kansas families will now have access to strong evidence-based programs designed to prevent the need for foster care.
Governor Laura Kelly along with Department for Children and Families Secretary Laura Howard awarded 18 agencies from across the state with $13 million in Family First prevention grants.
“From day one of my administration, I’ve made it clear that the safety and well-being of children in Kansas is my top priority,” Kelly said. “I am proud that Kansas, as one of the first states in the nation to implement Family First, has partnered with community organizations to support vulnerable families.”
The Family First Prevention Services Act (FFPSA) provides new federal funding for prevention activities. The funding is available for children at imminent risk of placement in foster care as well as parents or kinship caregivers. The Act provides federal matching dollars for evidence-based services rated as “well- supported” in the areas of mental health, substance use disorder, parent skill building and kinship navigation.
DCF awarded substance use disorder grants to:
- DCCCA for Adolescent-Community Reinforcement Approach services to teens in Crawford county.
- Kansas Children’s Service League for the Parent-Child Assistance Program in Shawnee county.
- Saint Francis Ministries for Seeking Safety in Sedgwick county and five counties in the West Region.
DCF awarded mental health grants to:
- Community Solutions, Inc. for Multisystemic Therapy in selected counties for each DCF region.
- Cornerstones of Care for Functional Family Therapy in the Kansas City Region
- Horizons Mental Health Center for Parent Child Interaction Therapy in Reno county and four counties in the Wichita Region.
- TFI Family Services for Parent Child Interaction Therapy in selected counties in the East, West, and Wichita Regions
- Saint Francis Ministries for Family-Centered Therapy in the West and Wichita Regions.
DCF awarded kinship navigation services to:
- Kansas Legal Services for Kin-tech. This program will serve 400 families statewide.
DCF awarded parent skill building grants to:
- Child Advocacy and Parenting Services for family mentoring in Saline and Ottawa counties.
- FosterAdopt Connect, Inc. for fostering prevention in Johnson and Wyandotte counties.
- Great Circle for Health Families America in selected counties for the East and Kansas City regions.
- Kansas Children’s Service League for Healthy Families America in Sedgwick county and selected counties in the East.
- Kansas Parents as Teachers Association for support to Parents as Teacher’s programming across the state.
- Success by 6 Coalition of Douglas County for Healthy Families America in Douglas County in the Kansas City Region.
- University of Kansas Medical Center Research Institute, Inc. – Project Eagle for Attachment and Bio-Behavioral Catch-Up Program in selected counties in the Kansas City and West Regions.
DCF also awarded the FFPSA grant evaluation to the University of Kansas Center for Research, Inc. The agency is required to engage in an evaluation of our Family First implementation and programs. In its role as Grant Evaluator, KU’s Center for Research will work with DCF prevention grantees to evaluate program data and information regarding outcomes in communities where the new programs are implemented.
As part of the evaluation effort, KU will convene regional and statewide advisory teams around Family First Prevention Services Act implementation.
The evaluation activities in this grant award begin in October and the grant may extend up to five years.
“I am excited that we are able to partner with agencies across the state to make Family First a reality in Kansas,” Howard said. “Whether you are in Cherokee or Cheyenne county, families will have access to strong evidence-based programs all with the goal of preventing the need for a child to enter the foster care system.”
DCF received 55 proposals for Family First prevention grant services. Grant review teams represented each region, DCF administrative staff, and representatives from the Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, and the Kansas Children’s Cabinet and Trust Fund.
Team representatives had program expertise in foster care, mental health, early childhood programming, quality assurance, substance use disorder services, and prevention services.
The grants term awarded is October 1, 2019 through June 30, 2020.
Division of Vehicles at Fort Scott Closed Oct. 9 For Training
Division of Vehicles announces dates offices will be closed for regional training meetings
TOPEKA – For the next two months, the Kansas Department of Revenue’s Division of Vehicles will intermittently close driver’s license offices across the state for regional training meetings. These will close offices for one day by region. The purpose is to improve consistency across the state in customer service and process training.
“Our goal is to ensure adequate and consistent training for an improved customer service experience at our offices across the state,” David Harper, Director of Vehicles, said.
The driver’s license offices will be closed as follows on their respective dates:
October 7 – Sedgwick County Region
- Wichita, Derby, Andover, Winfield
October 9 – East Region
- Atchison, Baxter Springs, Chanute, Ft. Scott, Independence, Iola, Leavenworth, Ottawa, Parsons, Pittsburg
October 14 – Johnson and Wyandotte Counties
- Kansas City, Mission, Olathe, Overland Park
November 6 – Shawnee & Douglas Counties
- Lawrence, Topeka
November 13 – West Region
- Colby, Dodge City, Garden City, Great Bend, Hays, Liberal, Phillipsburg, Pratt, Scott City
November 18 – Central Region
- Concordia, Emporia, Hutchinson, Junction City, Manhattan, McPherson, Salina, Seneca
Obituary of Eva Mae Byerley
Eva Mae Byerley died on September 26, 2019, rejoining spiritually her husband, Edward, who predeceased her less than a year prior. Eva was born on January 7, 1928, at the family farm near Barnesville, KS, the daughter of Fred E White and Lora A. White (Higbie). She was the youngest of seven children, five girls and two boys.
Eva graduated from Fulton H.S. (KS) in 1945. She married her high school sweetheart, Edward, after his return from active military duty in the Navy in 1946.
Eva was a homemaker and mom extraordinaire to their three sons during the early years of marriage. In the late 1960’s to mid – 1980’s, Eva worked at The Western Insurance Companies as an automobile rater and in human resources.
Eva and Ed retired full time to Sun City West, AZ in 1986, enjoying nearly 30 years of the sunny weather and the activities offered in that retirement community. Eva was a passionate and competitive amateur bowler, who carried a high average for several years. She also enjoyed playing bocce, cooking, and watching KU basketball games on television.
Eva is survived by three sons, daughter’s-in-law, six grandchildren, and one great grandchild.
There was cremation. Graveside service will be October 28, 2019, at 11:00 a.m., at the U.S. National Cemetery. Words of remembrance may be submitted to the online guestbook at cheneywitt.com.
MyMedicare.gov: Portal of Personalized Information
MyMedicare.gov program is starting this fall to help Medicare beneficiaries manage personal Medicare benefits and service information. Registering with MyMedicare.gov gives you access to your personalized information at any time. Registering lets you:
- Check your Medicare information, such as your Medicare claims as soon as they are processed and important Medicare-related information specific to you.
- Find your eligibility, entitlement, and preventive service information.
- Check your health and prescription drug enrollment information.
- View your Part B deductible information.
- Manage your prescription drug list and other personal health information.
- Print an official Medicare card.
- Create an “On the Go Report” that allows you to print your health information to share with your healthcare providers.
Medicare uses the same information that the Social Security Administration (SSA) has on file for you (or the Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) if you get RRB benefits) to verify your information and set up your online account. To register online, you’ll:
- Enter your Medicare number (as it appears on your red, white, and blue Medicare card).
- Register with the same address that the SSA or RRB has on file for you. During Registration, you will be asked you to validate your address. This is an important step to protect your personal information, because Medicare may send you mail at this address that contains important personal account information.
- Create a username and password that you can remember and use to sign into MyMedicare.gov each time you visit.
- Provide information to reset your username or password if you forget it in the future.
Medicare will mail you a confirmation letter and send a confirmation email if you provided one during registration.
The security provided by MyMedicare.gov prevents others from illegally gathering data from or about you, keeping your personal information safe. Your MyMedicare.gov account may only be accessed by signing in with your own username and personalized password. You or your appointed Authorized Representative are the only people who should have this information.
Remember, you play an important role in protecting your personal information (including your Social Security number) from unlawful access. Always log out of your MyMedicare.gov account after you are finished with your session. Do not share your login information with anyone. Keep your username and password stored in a safe place.
Annual Medicare Open Enrollment is October 15th– December 7th, make an appointment with a Senior Health Insurance Counselor for Kansans (SHICK) for assistance in setting up your MyMedicare.gov account when reviewing Part D prescription and Advantage Plan options for 2020. If you have questions or would like to make an appointment at one of the Southwind Extension District offices (Fort Scott, Erie, Iola, and Yates Center), contact me at 620-223-3720 or [email protected].
The Bourbon County Sheriff’s Office Daily Reports Oct. 1
Key Industries Starts New Division
Luke Halsey and Bryan Pitts are the new account executives for Key for Business, a newly created division of Key Industries, Inc.
The division was started this summer and has the ability to embroider or screen print clothing and other items.
“Key for Business is focused on working directly with businesses to provide quality workwear for the company and their employees,” Halsey said. ” We can provide work uniforms with the company logo on it, which, we do here in-house in our new embellishment center.”
The advantage of being produced locally is the turn-around-time, Halsey said.
“We can do a project in a few days and (for a business) to send it off it would take about two weeks,” he said.
The division employees have the ability to embellish almost all of Key Industry garment items with either direct-to-garment printing or embroidery services, he said.
“We are offering company discount programs with no contract necessary, as we believe enough in our quality and services we won’t need to lock customers in,” Halsey said.
The company believes this feature will keep customers coming back, he said.
Although Halsey has been working at Key Industries for only a short time, Key has been in business for over 110 years and is known for making “The Nations Finest” workwear for the American worker. Halsey said.
The following is a list of what Key produces:
Regular workwear: work shorts, jeans/dungarees, work pants, T-shirts, polo shirts, and button-down work shirts.
Outerwear: premium work coats/jackets, vests, sweatshirts, overalls/coveralls.
Specialty: High visibility items and fire-resistant apparel
The Fort Scott Police Department Daily Reports Sept. 30
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Community Closet Meeting Today at 6 p.m.
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Bourbon County Commission Minutes of Sept. 17
September 17, 2019 Tuesday 9:00 am
The Bourbon County Commission met in open session with Commissioner Fischer and Ruhl, the County Counselor and the County Clerk present.
Jim Harris and Jerad Heckman with Road & Bridge met with the Commissioners; Jim said they are wedging on 245th. He said that two of the Freightliner trucks broke down last week. They made 240 tons of asphalt for the City of Fort Scott. He said they took the patcher to do work on 240th & Jayhawk. He said they are mowing around the county. They are crushing and making chips at the Beth Quarry. They have been using the excavator at the Shepherd Quarry clearing out the floor.
Charles Gentry (the secretary of St. Martin’s Academy) met with the Commissioners to discuss the St. Martin’s Academy located east of the Fort Scott Lake on Indian Road. St. Martin’s is a boy’s boarding school for freshman to seniors that offers a classical education and farm work experience. There are currently 29 students at the school, 12 paid staff as well as volunteers at the school. Mr. Gentry said that five families have moved to Bourbon County due to the school. Currently the speed limit is 45 mph in the area; Mr. Gentry asked that a school speed zone be established with signage (warning school zones ahead, school speed limit signs & end school zone sign) going both directions on either side of the school property. Jeff made a motion to direct Jim Harris to review the area and report back to the Commissioners and consider widening the road between the school and the Lake entrance in the future, Nick seconded and the motion passed.
Jeff reported a citizen contacted him regarding the patching done in Rocher addition; there are still potholes that need filled there. Jim said he would view the road.
There was a brief discussion over the one percent countywide retailer’s sales tax that is distributed to the county and cities in Bourbon County. This will expire on June 30, 2021. The commissioners discussed renewing this tax. Jeff suggested reviewing and calculating the amount of current sales tax that is collected for the swimming pool, the jail and the one percent road tax.
The Commissioners did a fence viewing between property owners Brian Comstock and Union Pacific Railroad; Nick made a motion that the fence does need to be repaired or replaced since it does not meet the Bourbon County fence guidelines, Union Pacific will be responsible for the east ½ of the fence and the Comstock’s will be responsible for the west ½ of the fence, Jeff seconded and all approved.
Jeff made a motion to approve a Property Tax Relief Application (due to fire) for David Klein and a Property Tax Relief Application for the Joe Pete Erie property; Nick seconded and the motion passed.
Dave Bruner and Robert Leisure with the Bourbon County EMS met with the Commissioners; in August of 2019 there were 194 calls for service, of those calls there were 69 transfers, 49 dry runs and 145 total transports. They requested three new Life Pack 15’s for a total of $67,629.60 and two McGrath Video Laryngoscopes for a total of $5,548 (with trade ins). If purchased three annual payments could be made on the equipment. Jeff asked that they get another bid for a price comparison. They plan to get another bid and meet back with the Commissioners. There is an ambulance getting repaired for approximately $3,000.
Jeff made a motion to go into a 5-minute executive session for confidential data relating to financial affairs or trade secrets of corporations, partnerships, trusts and individual proprietorships, Nick seconded and all approved, (the session included the Commissioners, Dave Bruner and Robert Leisure). No action was taken.
Justin Meeks met with the Commissioners to discuss Elm Creek Lake; he asked permission from the Commissioners to start the process to get the shelters there on the Kansas Historical list. He said that HPA and the ABC Trails may have money available to help with the cost of repairs to the buildings. Jeff made a motion to allow Justin to start the process of getting Elm Creek on the Kansas Historical List, Nick seconded and the motion passed.
Jeff made a motion to break for lunch and reconvene at 1:30, Nick seconded and the motion passed.
Terry Sercer met with the Commissioners to present the 2018 audit; he said there were no violations of the Kansas Statutes. However, there were three deficiencies; reconciliation of cash in the bank to the County’s accounting records, reconciliation of the annual tax roll and preparation of the financial statements (Terry assists in both the County audit and the County budget).
Emergency Manager Will Wallis met with the Commissioners to discuss the disaster debris removal; Bourbon County experienced some flooding in the County in the spring of 2019. Will said there were 22 different areas in Bourbon County that has debris in Bourbon County waterways. He said that the State reported that the County could use a quarry site or the Landfill to store the debris. KDHE said the debris could be burnt and provided Will with an application for approval of open burning operation. There will be funds from FEMA to help pay for the cost of the debris removal. The debris needs to be removed by December 15, 2019. Will questioned if the Commissioners wanted Road & Bridge to remove the debris (to save money) or hire the work to be done. Will said that Road & Bridge would need two dump trucks and a backhoe to move the debris and estimated that the County could do the work in approximately six days. After discussion, Nick said he would talk to Jim Harris about the debris removal, the Commissioners plan to discuss this again on September 24th.
Jeff Fischer may attend a news interview at the jail regarding the HVAC unit.
Lora Holdridge met with the Commissioners to discuss the County holiday meal; it was decided the meal would be on December 6th. Lora said there will also be an ornament exchange for the employees that want to participate. Lora said that Woodson County wants to opt out of doing two SEK meetings a year; Lora suggested continuing to do the meetings twice a year.
Register of Deeds Lora Holdridge says she talked to Nick about departments rehiring; she said they previously weren’t able to do the information officer since the person they planned to put in the position backed out at the last minute. Lora said in her 2020 budget she requested an additional $15,000 to be given to herself and her one employee; she said she had waited two years to hire a floater or an information officer. Lora said she never gets to take a vacation since she only has one employee and that other department heads are allowed to take 1-2 weeks at a time. Lora said she offers comp time to her one employee. Lora asked Kendell if she was rehiring for a vacant part time position; Kendell said she was. The Commissioners said that Kendell asked and was given permission to rehire for the position. Lora discussed mistakes that past employees in her office had made, as well as other mistakes that had been made. Lora said that her office is the only office where everything dealing with real estate starts. Lora said hiring a part time employee in her office wouldn’t do any good. Lora presented two pay vouchers to the Commissioners; she presented a voucher to pay herself $10,000 and presented a $5,000 voucher to pay her one employee. Jeff Fischer said he didn’t feel comfortable with this, he said he wasn’t saying they didn’t deserve this, but said if this was allowed other departments would present requests too. After much discussion, Lora said she wouldn’t turn in the vouchers, but asked that they discuss this with Lynne Oharah. Jeff said they did budget a raise in 2020 for several elected officials to correct the wage problem. Jeff said it was the responsibility of the County Commissioners to look out for the whole organization. Jeff has previously said that Allen County Register of Deeds operates on two employees, and stated that Bates County Missouri operates their Register of Deeds office on 1 ½ employee.
Nick Ruhl will be attending a healthcare task force meeting on 9/19/2019 at 9:00 am.
Jeff made a motion to go into a 10 minute executive session for personnel matters of individual non-elected personnel, Nick seconded and all approved, (the session included the Commissioners, Justin Meeks and Kendell Mason). No action was taken.
At 3:48, Nick made a motion to adjourn and Jeff seconded.
THE BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
OF BOURBON COUNTY, KANSAS
_____________ , Chairman
(ss) Jeff Fischer, Commissioner
(ss) Nick Ruhl, Commissioner
ATTEST:
Kendell Mason, Bourbon County Clerk
09/24/2019, Approved Date