Bourbon County, K-State Extension, Submitted

Sericea Lespedeza Weed Control in Rangeland and Pasture

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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]

According to Walt Fick, a K-State Research and Extension Range Specialist, Sericea lespedeza has been a statewide noxious weed in Kansas since July 1, 2000. Despite control efforts, this introduced, invasive species continues to persist on rangeland, pasture, and CRP acres in the state. Sericea lespedeza has a tremendous seed bank that helps reestablish stands following control efforts. Sericea lespedeza currently infests nearly 500,000 acres in Kansas.

There are no known biological controls that can be effectively used on sericea lespedeza. However, grazing with sheep and goats can suppress sericea lespedeza stands and produce a saleable product. Cattle supplemented with corn steep liquor (CSL) have been shown to consume more sericea lespedeza than animals not supplemented with CSL. Frequent mowing will reduce sericea lespedeza, but is also damaging to plants that might be growing/competing with sericea. A single mowing in mid- to late-July will eventually reduce stands of sericea lespedeza to some extent but has not eliminated sericea, even after several years of mowing. A late-summer mowing will eliminate most seed production. Application of appropriate herbicides about 4-6 weeks after mowing will help reduce sericea lespedeza stands, but will also damage other forbs. Prescribed burning in April seems to stimulate seed germination. Burning in August and early September nearly eliminates seed production.

Herbicides applied at the correct time and under favorable environmental conditions can significantly reduce sericea lespedeza, but retreatment has proven to be required. Early summer is a good time to consider spraying sericea lespedeza. Plants are in a vegetative growth stage and previous research has indicated good to excellent control at this time.

Remedy Ultra (triclopyr) and PastureGard HL (triclopyr + fluroxypyr) can provide effective control when applied during June and into early July when the sericea plants are in a vegetative growth stage.

Products containing metsulfuron, such as Escort XP, Cimarron Plus, and Chaparral, are generally more effective in the late summer when sericea lespedeza is actively blooming.. Use a non-ionic surfactant with all of these products. These products containing metsulfuron may stunt tall fescue.

For spot applications, mix 0.5 fl oz PastureGard HL per gallon of water, use a 1 percent solution of Remedy Ultra in water or 1 gram Escort XP per gallon of water.

Herbicide treatments will need to be repeated at least every 2 to 4 years to keep this invasive species in check. Initial treatments should reduce dense stands to the point where spot treatment can be used in future years. Left untreated, sericea lespedeza will quickly dominate a site, greatly reducing forage production and species diversity.

If you are unfamiliar with sericea lespedeza, learn how to identify the species and get started with a control program. Be persistent with control efforts to keep this invasive species at manageable populations. Contact Southwind Extension District Agent Christopher Petty at 620-223-3720 or by e-mail at [email protected] for more information.

Obituary

Obituary for Fredrick F. Hutchison

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Fredrick F. Hutchison

Fredrick F. Hutchison, age 82, a resident of Fort Scott, KS, died Thursday, June 14, 2018, at Mercy Hospital.

He was born June 13, 1936, in Sheldon, MO, the son of Fred and Leota Withrow Hutchison. He graduated from Ft. Scott High School with the class of 1954. He then attended Ft. Scott Junior College before entering the Navy in 1955. Fred served our country proudly for 30 years in the Navy before retiring. He then worked for the Navy as a civilian for another 10 years. He returned to Ft. Scott for the last 20 years, to the hometown he loved. He was an outdoorsmen and professional bass fisherman.

Survivors include two daughters, Marilyn Machelle Greene, Austin, TX, and Mindi Yvonne Elam and husband Dale, Tuscaloosa, AL; two brothers, Donald “Butch” Hutchison and wife Karen, Ft. Scott, and Denny Hutchison, Cody, WY; a sister, Kay Arnold, Ft. Scott; 9 grandchildren, Alexandria Floyd, Colleen Redding, Katlin Greene, Charlotte J. Hutchison, Travis Hines, Ashley Arner, Raschelle Boeve, Madison Johnson, and Dalton Estes; 8 great grandchildren; and numerous nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his wife Frances Hutchison; son Fredrick Andrew Hutchison; and daughter Tracy C. Craig.

Hospice Chaplain Jeff Owen will conduct funeral services at 10:00 AM Monday, June 18th, at the Cheney Witt Chapel.
Burial will follow in the U. S. National Cemetery. Military Honors will be provided by the Olson Frary Burkhart Post #1165 V.F.W. Memorials are suggested to the V.F.W. Post #1165, and may be left in the care of the Cheney Witt Chapel, PO Box 347, 201 S. Main, Ft. Scott, KS 66701. Words of remembrance may be submitted to the online guestbook at cheneywitt.com.

Bourbon County

Fort Scott Manor Closed By The State

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Fort Scott Manor on Heylman Street was recently closed down by the Kansas Department of Aging and Disabilities.

A local nursing home was closed by the State of Kansas in May 2018 for deficient practices and conditions that placed its residents in immediate danger, according to court documents found in the Bourbon County Courthouse,  District Court.

In April 2018 the Kansas Department of Aging and Disabilities Services (KDADS) surveyed Fort Scott Manor at 736 Heylman and found that “multiple instances of verbal, mental and physical abuse at the hands of direct care staff” had been inflicted on residents, according to court documents.

“The one nurse that was physically abusive was immediately fired,” Connie Willis, a Fort Scott Manor employee at the time, said.

The facility received a  “K” rating which indicated that a situation “where the providers have caused or are likely to cause serious injury, harm or impairment or death to more than a limited number of residents.”

A plan to end the practices and conditions was started by the administrator, Jan Kierl, but not completed, according to the court documents.

Employees of Fort Scott Manor contacted the state that payroll checks had not cleared to pay them, according to the documents.

KDADS was also notified by food service, durable medical equipment and rehab vendors that they had not received payment for services rendered as well.

According to court documents, KDADS  stated that conditions at Fort Scott Manor were life-threatening to the residents and that Jan Kierl was unable to pay debts that were owed.

By May, all the residents were found homes in other facilities or homes.

A status conference with Judge Mark Ward and other parties in the case is scheduled for July 23 at 9 a.m. in the Bourbon County Courthouse.

Messages left with Kierl and her attorney were not answered.

An employee account of Fort Scott Manor closing

Connie Willis worked at Fort Scott Manor from January 2014 until May 2018 when they closed, she said.

Willis was a housekeeper and kitchen helper at the facility during that time.

Soon after she started in 2014, the owners, Jan and Dan Kierl, had a contentious divorce.

“It was a big public blow-up,” Willis said.

Soon after, the facility administrator and the director of nursing were fired, Willis said.

“We changed DON’s (Director of Nursing) and administrators so much you never knew who was in charge,” Willis said.

In this time period, Jan Kierl cut back hours of employees and purchases for the nursing home, Willis said.

“I was purchasing some of my own cleaning supplies,” Willis said. “I had to buy a vacuum cleaner to do my work. I got it back last month.”

When Willis left Fort Scott Manor on May 13, there were 18 residents left, she said. The facility was home, at one time, to 45 residents.

On May 14, the state started taking over administrator duties, Willis said.

“They were there to do their job, to make the residents safe,” she said. “I applaud them for that.”

“On my last paycheck, the state had taken over and THEIR checks bounced,” Willis said.

“We were there for the residents trying to keep things normal for the residents,” Willis said. “The residents were great, the people I worked with did their best for the residents. It was so sad to see it closed.”

“They were taking people out of their home, one for 20 years,” Willis said. “That was hard seeing them move out. They didn’t want to move.”

 

Opinion

Amanda’s Wedding by Patty LaRoche

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At weddings, my dress purse contains three things: lipstick, a nail file and Kleenex—lots and lots of Kleenex. This past weekend, I was in good company. By the time the celebration was over, there weren’t many dry eyes left.

This past Friday, I witnessed a sacred marriage union in which Tyler and my granddaughter, Amanda, committed themselves to God first, and each other, second. From the time they met fifteen months ago until this past Friday, they determined to keep their relationship pure. Their first kiss came at their engagement, and their next, after their wedding vows. Was it hard? According to them, crazy hard!

I pray you readers have had an opportunity to witness such a marriage. Perhaps it was your own. If so, you surely appreciated a sense of reverence and knew that you were a spectator to something extraordinary. Honoring God above all else has a way of causing that to happen.

Tyler and Amanda have many common interests. She works in the children’s ministry at church, and he is headed to seminary in North Carolina in the fall. They both ride dirt bikes, golf, line-dance and two-step, adore children and pray together daily.

At the rehearsal, the pastor brought everyone together to instruct us that this wedding would be God-centered and those in attendance would be encouraged to follow in the bride’s and groom’s footsteps and ask Jesus into their hearts. This would be no foo-foo message.

On the wedding day, the four sets of grandparents met at the church 30 minutes before the ceremony started; we were greeted by a scene that silenced our small-talk-ramblings: With heads bowed, the groom and his eight groomsmen huddled in prayer. During the ceremony, the pastor held true to his rehearsal instructions. The entire service was about God being foundational to a great marriage.

The rehearsal was no different. Toasts from the bridesmaids and groomsmen all confirmed what every guest knew: This couple had remained pure and couldn’t wait to spend their lives together honoring Jesus. Even their fun, crazy friends—most of them, actually–recognized something special in this couple. Three of Amanda’s maids-of-honor had known her since pre-school days. Together they had played softball and volleyball, ridden motorcycles, wakeboarded and taken years of dance lessons. Her friends had celebrated when—and yes, I will brag here just a little– she was voted Prom Queen her senior year, the most coveted honor at her high school, but most importantly, that she had grown in her love of the Lord and her desire to honor Him.

The groomsmen had similar stories about Tyler, and following their toasts, his mother spoke. Ever since her youngest son was born, she shared, not a day had gone by that she had not prayed for God to bring a strong Christian woman into his life. She fought tears while sharing that Amanda far surpassed anything she could have chosen.

By then, I had used (or shared) the entire box of Kleenex I had stuffed into my purse. I was not the only one grateful for table napkins.

Like I said, honoring God above all else has a way of causing that to happen.

Next time, I will bring a satchel.

Business, Fort Scott

First Ever Local Lavender Festival June 16

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Betsy Reichard points to one of the varieties of lavender grown on her farm, The Lavender Patch, 22376 Locust Rd.

Lavender has been a sensory, culinary and decorative herb for thousands of years.

But for Betsy and Davin Reichard, an idea to grow it spawned approximatley ten years ago when they first visited a lavender farm.

They had purchased a property in 2008.

The Reichard’s talked the idea over with family members, and in 2009 did research on the subject and visited other lavender farms, Betsy said

In 2010 the Reichard’s planted their first plants in the ground, half of which died.

Experimenting they planted 800 plants in 2012, 300 of which were mounded, which is planting the lavender in hills.

“The 300 that were mounded, died,” she said.

In 2013 they planted 1000 plants in a different spot and “they all died,” Reichard said.

The Reichard’s enlisted the help of Kansas State University, who told them this loss was due to weather conditions.

The Tri-Valley Developmental Services Horticulture Therapy Program propagates the lavender for the Reichards.

In 2014 they moved to a different pasture.

“It’s been a heck-of-a-lot more work than we imagined,” she said.

But finally, success in 2014.

That year they started making lavender products: lotions, soaps, bath salts, sachets, and spritzes.

“It takes lavender three years to mature, and it’s very labor intensive,” she said. “It’s a Mediterranean plant.”

“People have said lavender is a natural antiseptic, some say it’s a natural flea and tick repellant,” Reichard said of the products made on the farm.

The Reichards children: Jacob, Andrew, Joseph and wife, Tori, Rebecah and Aaron Houser and Levi, have helped through the years with the farm, as have other family and friends, Betsy said.

“For so many years we’ve had many troubles, so it’s finally good to see results,” Betsy said.

In their other lives, Betsy is a teacher in Nevada, Missouri, and Davin is a comptroller at SEKAN Printing Company, she said.

The Lavender Patch Festival

This Saturday is the first lavender festival that the Reichard’s are hosting at their Lavender Patch Farm at 2376 Locust, just east of Fort Scott.

The Lavender Patch Festival is from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and costs $5 admission. Children under five years old are free.

Parking will be at 2396 Locust, with signs to designate.

“Bring a lawn chair and comfortable walking shoes, this is a working farm,” Betsy said.

There will be tours, demonstrations, vendors, games, and live music by Bob (Pavey) Lovett and Red Letter Edition playing throughout the day.

You can pick your own bundle of lavender from several varieties for $5, or purchase a lavender plant for $7.

They have converted their garage into a gift shop and will be selling their lavender products.

Lunch will be sold with some lavender recipes featured.

Martha Scott will demonstrate how to make lavender wands and presentations will be by Reichard on lavender products, how to plant lavender, and how to make lavender wreaths.

Vendors will be Bobbie Kemna, featuring her pottery; Black Dog Farms featuring their honey;   and Jean Strader spinning wool.

Bourbon County Conservation will give a presentation on wildlife pollinators at the festival.

“It will be a relaxing day so come out with family and friends, listen to some wonderful music, enjoy the craftsmanship of our vendors, smell and touch the lavender,” Betsy said.

The Reichard’s can be contacted at 620-223-1364, www.lavenderpatchfarm.com, [email protected] or on Facebook, The Lavender Patch.

 

 

Obituary

Obituary of Susan O’Bryan

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Susan E. O’Bryan, age 75, a resident of Uniontown, KS, died Monday, June 11, 2018, at Mercy Hospital in Fort Scott.

She was born July 17, 1942, in Hiawatha, Kansas the daughter of Forest Lydick and wife Mary Beth.  Susan graduated from Hiawatha High School. She received a degree in Home Economics from Kansas State University and went on to receive an English undergraduate and graduate degree from Pittsburg State University.  Susan’s passion was to teach English and shared it with students in the Frontenac, Uniontown, Mound City, and Fort Scott school districts.  Her hobbies included; accomplished seamstress and quilter, UTV trail riding, traveling, reading, outdoor activities, list making and watching hummingbirds from her front porch.  Susan loved spending time with her grandchildren.

 

Survivors include her three children; Tom O’Bryan and wife Debra, Ann O’Bryan and spouse Todd May, Tim O’Bryan and wife Dianne.  Also surviving are five grandchildren; Lauren, Jake, Kate, Jenna, and Ben. She was preceded in death by her husband Mike O’Bryan and parents.

 

There was cremation. Private family burial will take place in the Uniontown Cemetery.

A Celebration of Life is scheduled from 1:00 – 4:00 pm on July 14 at the Empress Event Center in Fort Scott.  Light hors-d’oeuvres and refreshments will be served.  Memorials are suggested to the Mercy Cancer Center and may be left in the care of the Cheney Witt Chapel, PO Box 347, 201 S. Main, Ft. Scott, KS 66701. Words of remembrance may be submitted to the online guestbook at cheneywitt.com.

Bourbon County Local News