Governor Colyer Responds to CMS Decision on Lifetime Caps
TOPEKA- On Monday, Governor Colyer and the State Medicaid Director received a letter from the Center for Medicare and Medicaid (“CMS”) announcing they would not approve lifetime caps.
Gov. Colyer issued the following statement:
“As we indicated during the last Bob Bethell KanCare Oversight Committee meeting on April 23, Kansas is no longer pursuing a lifetime limit provision in its 1115 waiver.
“The decision to remove lifetime caps was made after a series of discussions with CMS in which they indicated they would be unable to approve the measure.
“While we will not be moving forward with lifetime caps, we are pleased that the Administration has been supportive of our efforts to include a work requirement in the 1115 waiver. This important provision will help improve outcomes and ensure that Kansans are empowered to achieve self-sufficiency.”
The 49th Annual Invitational Grade School Music Festival was held at Fort Scott Community College Saturday.
“The day was a huge success!Ellis and Bailey Halls (were) packed full of excited young musicians performing as soloists as well as in small and large ensembles,” Seth Ernst, FSCC music instructor said.
“Here are some numbers from the day:
– Thirty-four schools and private music studios attended, just shy of 300 solos performed, 46 small and large ensembles, upwards of 400 students, in total, across all entries.
“There were hundreds of family and friends in attendance to watch and listen,” Ernst said. “I must give my sincerest thanks to the following people:
– The maintenance staff, for their hard work in helping me set up and tear down all of the festival rooms,
– The business office, for their excellent help with getting me resources for the festival,
– The festival judges, two of whom include our very own Ronda Bailey and Dr. Greg Turner, for their expertise in assigning students’ ratings and giving valuable performance suggestions,
– The student workers, who put in a long day and made sure that all of the performance rooms ran smoothly and that students received their earned awards. These included Abigail Gilligan, Alexandreia Johnston, Allison Gilligan, Ashley Lockwood, Dayton Knight, Donnie Flowers, Erin Deatsch, Jackalynn Neher, Katie Palmer, Kevin Kerr, Megan Thomas, Shayla Button, Tim Higgins and Ty Covey.”
The Fort Scott Community College Music Department will present the annual Spring Concert on Saturday, May 12, at 7:00 pm in the Danny and Willa Ellis Family Fine Arts Center, 2108 South Horton St.
The FSCC Chamber Winds will begin the concert with a Hollywood-themed prelude consisting of several beloved themes from silver screen classics.
The FSCC Choir will take the second half of the show with a wide variety of uplifting and inspiring works that are sure help you feel the fullness and life of the spring season.
Admission is free and open to the public!
For more information, please contact Seth Ernst at 620-223-2700 ext. 3058, or email [email protected].”
Courtesy photos. The Fort Scott High School Forensic Team 2018.
Fort Scott High School Forensics scored this weekend.
“We had 36 events qualify for state this year,” Amber Toth,FSHS Forensic Teacher, said. “However, we are only allowed to take 16 total entries and two Lincoln Douglas Debaters. Overall, as a team, we took second.”
She is proud of her forensic students.
“If you see Forensics kids, please tell them congrats,” Toth said.” It is an amazing accomplishment to walk out of the largest state tournament in any classification with a trophy for the 2nd year in a row.”
Courtesy photos. Fort Scott High School Forensics Team 2018.
Individual Results:
Darby Toth is the Oration State Champion and the Impromptu State Runner-Up
Elizabeth Ngatia is the State Runner-Up in Oration and takes 4th in Poetry.
“We also have 15 students attending the National Tournament in Fort Lauderdale, Florida this summer,” she said.
Tayton Majors and Sara Al-Shawish will be competing in Policy Debate.
Darby Toth will be recognized on the state level as a four time-qualifier (Fort Scott’s second ever), was chosen as South Kansas District Student of the Year, and will compete in Student Congress.
Zoe Self and Hunter Adamson will be competing in Duo Interpretation.
Rebekah Sweyko will be competing in Informative Speaking.
Madison Toth will be competing in Program of Oral Interpretation.
Ashtyn Dowell and Jorden Willard will compete in Public Forum Debate.
Elizabeth Ngatia will be competing in Original Oration.
Isabella Provence will be competing in Humorous Interpretation.
Brooklyn Lyons will be competing in Program of Oral Interpretation.
Mark Adams will compete in Domestic Extemp.
Dalton Womeldorff will compete in World Schools Debate.
Jonie Antonio will compete in World Schools Debate.
Ralph Wayne Daniels, age 48, a resident of Ft. Scott, Kansas, passed away unexpectedly Thursday, May 3, 2018, in Ft. Scott.
He was born April 7, 1970, in Jackson County, Missouri, the son of Haskel Wayne Daniels and Nellie May Dorsey Daniels. He married Cathy Smith on June 12, 2009, at Ada, Oklahoma. Ralph graduated from the Jayhawk Linn High School with the Class of 1988.
He later attended Trucking School at Ft. Scott Community College and had worked as a truck driver for various trucking companies throughout the United States. He was currently employed by O’Brien Ready Mix.
Ralph will be remembered for his quick wit and sense of humor. He was a Messianic believer who was loyal and faithful to both his family and his faith.
Survivors include his wife, Cathy, of the home; seven children, Desiree Kidwell of Baltimore, Maryland; Peter Mauk, Seth Daniels, and Zachary Daniels, all of Mound City, Kansas; Faith Cox and husband, Jeremy, of Ada, Oklahoma; Hope Daniels, of Ft. Scott and Raylee Bledsoe and husband, Caleb, also of Ft. Scott. Also, surviving are six grandchildren Adriahna, Owen, Skarlet, Roman, Gabriel, and Aidan with two more on the way.
Additional survivors are four brothers, Charlie Daniels, Curtis Daniels, Corby Daniels and James Newman and two sisters, Julie Glaves and Lorelei Daniels.
He was preceded in death by his parents.
Stephen Coursen will conduct funeral services at 11:00 A.M. Wednesday, May 9th at the Cheney Witt Chapel.
Burial will follow in the Evergreen Cemetery.
The family will receive friends from 5 to 7 P.M.Tuesday at the Cheney Witt Chapel. Memorials are suggested to the Ralph Daniels Memorial Fund and may be left in the care of the Cheney Witt Chapel, 201 S. Main, P.O. Box 347, Ft. Scott, KS 66701. Words of remembrance may be submitted to the online guestbook at cheneywitt.com.
1:30- 1:50 Justin Meeks- meeting about old jail/ Data Center
1:50-2:20 Justin Meeks- update on NRP/Meeting times/Resolution
2:30 Employee Handbook
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
Bryan Holt, a member of Live Local Bourbon County speaks to attendees of The Buy and Eat/Meet and Greet Thursday evening.
Small shifts in spending habits can have big results on a community’s economy.
So said Live Local Bourbon County member and spokesman Bryan Holt to attendees of Thursday evening’s Buy and Eat/Meet and Greet public meeting at Memorial Hall.
The event was sponsored by Blue Cross/ Blue Shield Pathways to Healthy Kansas.
“A 10 percent shift in spending at local restaurants would mean an additional $400,000 plus to our local economy on an annual basis,” Holt said. “If I spend $200 eating out every month and say I took $20 of that and moved it from Taco Bell to Papa Don’s or Sharkey’s or LaHacienda that’s going to make a big impact in our economy.”
“When you do business locally…it also helps to strengthen the social fabric of our community,” Holt said.
An example Holt gave was Norris Heating and Air Conditioning.
“They are in their third generation of local ownership,” Holt said. “Every year they do a very large donation to The Sharing Bucket, a locally owned business who is supporting cancer (survivors).”
Making purposeful efforts will stimulate our economy and its social fabric, Holt said.
Nat Bjerke-Harvey, a first generation young farmer was another guest speaker at the meet and greet.
Nat Bjerke-Harvey, a food producer from Manhattan, speaks to the Meet and Greet attendees Thursday evening at Memorial Hall. Facilitator of the event is Jody Hoener, seated in background.
Harvey started an approximately one-acre farm outside Manhattan five years ago with his wife and has started a wholesale business working with local retailers and restaurants off of his farm, he said.
“After two to three years of production, we decided we were going to add another farmers market or diversify into a (selling produce to a) restaurant (business), Harvey said.
They chose the restaurant route and worked out a plan.
Each week Harvey sends out emails to restaurants telling them of the food products that are available from his farm.
Harvey then takes orders from the restaurants on Monday and Tuesday. Wednesday he harvests the produce and delivers it on Thursdays. On Fridays, he harvests for the Downtown Manhattan Farmers Market.
“I think there is a great opportunity in Kansas for growing synergy (collaboration)between farmers and restaurants,” he said.
Demand for local food and food safety and liability issues were part of a panel discussion involving Harvey, Kathy McEwan, Krista Harding and Ann Stark.
Nat Bjerke-Harvey, Kathy McEwan, Krista Harding and Ann Stark listen intently as facilitator Jody Hoener poses questions to the panel.
“There is a trend towards people who want to know who is growing their food and food that provides the most nutrient load,” McEwan, a K-State Extension Family, and Consumer Science Agent said.
Krista Harding, K-State Extension Horticulture Agent said: “It’s our responsibility to grow food safely.”
To have a plan for the safety of food produced locally, Harding recommended Food Safety Training classes in Olathe May 17 and May 23 which are $20 per person.
The 2015 Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) will have an impact on food production in the near future, McEwan said.
If a food producer makes $25,000 or less on his produce per year there is an exemption in FSMA, McEwan said.
Stark, a local insurance agent recommended talking to one’s property insurance agent to add an incidental insurance policy “so you can be covered correctly.”
“The cost will vary, some are based on gross receipts,” Stark said.
David Goodyear received a Pathways to a Healthy Kansas Implementation Grant May 3 from Blue Cross/Blue Shield in the amount of $20,000 at the Meet and Greet. Presenting the check is Virginia Barnes.from BCBS and Hoener.
David Goodyear, representing Pathways AgPath, was presented a check for $20,000, for purchasing equipment to help at-risk individuals in the community to produce food together.
“Each year we have a community project,”Hoener said. “This year our focus is on healthy food. The Pathway AgPath (Goodyear is a coordinator for) was a perfect fit with our focus to promote locally produced food in the community. There is a natural connection between it and Common Ground, but David is also seeking out connections with G&W food and the Beacon.”
The names are confusing because the giver of the grant is Pathways to a Healthy Kansas and the recipient is PathwayAgPath, a piece of a local ministry of Pathway.
Pathway is a ministry of the Fort Scott Church of the Nazarene with a board that is multi-denominational and collaborates with Next Steps, a program to combat cycles of poverty in Fort Scott.
A future feature will tell the story behind this ministry and what they are doing in the community.
Women who cannot afford a mammogram will benefit from a $1,000 donation from HOPE 4 You Breast Cancer Foundation to Mercy Health Foundation Fort Scott. Funds donated by HOPE 4 You are used to provide mammograms and breast imaging for women who meet certain criteria.
This is the seventh consecutive year Mercy has received the grant.
“Far too often women neglect their own health care needs for other priorities,” said Christi Keating, Mercy Hospital Fort Scott executive director of patient care services. “Funds from this grant will give woman who might otherwise not get mammograms access to the life-saving screenings.”
HOPE 4 You’s giving capacity is based solely on donations from individuals, organizations and fundraisers such as its annual Race 4 HOPE, which will be held June 2.
“The purpose of HOPE 4 You is to save lives through screening and early detection,” said Tina Rockhold, executive director of the Mercy Health Foundation Fort Scott. “Their mission matches up very well with that of Mercy. The RACE 4 HOPE each year in June supports these programs at Mercy as well as other area hospitals. We are grateful for this donation which will provide screening and diagnostic mammograms for underserved women in our area.”
For more information about digital mammography or to schedule a mammography appointment, call Mercy’s Imagining Services at 620-223-7015.
Mercy Hospital Fort Scott is an acute care hospital with 46 licensed beds, offering comprehensive medical, surgical, OB/GYN, pediatric, homecare and hospice services. Inpatient care is provided with 24/7 physician coverage. In 2017, Mercy Hospital Fort Scott received The Leapfrog Group’s prestigious A rating. Mercy Clinic Fort Scott is located on hospital grounds as well as Mercy rural health clinics in Arma and Pleasanton.
Mercy, named one of the top five large U.S. health systems in 2018, 2017 and 2016 by IBM Watson Health, serves millions annually. Mercy includes more than 40 acute care and specialty (heart, children’s, orthopedic and rehab) hospitals, 800 physician practices and outpatient facilities, 44,000 co-workers and 2,100 Mercy Clinic physicians in Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri and Oklahoma. Mercy also has clinics, outpatient services and outreach ministries in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas. In addition, Mercy’s IT division, Mercy Technology Services, supply chain organization, ROi, and Mercy Virtual commercially serve providers and patients in more than 20 states coast to coast.
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 or online [email protected]
Spring weather has finally arrived. As spring temperatures rise, farm pastures begin to green up. I am happy to help you become more productive, by visiting you on your farm or ranch and reviewing your management options. We can discuss pasture fertility, grazing strategies, weed control options and livestock management.
As our pastures green up, unfortunately, our farm ponds do too. This is caused by high nutrient loads which create favorable environments for pond weeds and algae growth. While some pond weeds and algae are necessary for a healthy pond ecosystem, excess weeds and algae problems can rob your ponds of the necessary oxygen to sustain fish life. Maintaining a healthy pond is a balancing act. If over fifty percent of your pond is weedy or algae filled, it’s time to begin an action plan. Unfortunately, there are no quick fix solutions to pond weeds problems. However, starting early in the year and creating a long-term weed or algae control strategy is your best option.
I’d be happy to assist you, free of charge, with your pond or pasture concerns. Contact me at the Southwind Extension District of K-State Research and Extension at (620)223-3720 or by e-mail at [email protected] to schedule a visit.
The National Day of Prayer Breakfast drew a crowd Thursday morning at the Ellis Fine Arts Center at Fort Scott Community College.
“The National Day of Prayer was created in 1952 by a joint resolution of Congress, and signed into law by President Harry S. Truman,” according to its website. “In 1988, the law was unanimously amended by both the House and the Senate and signed into law by President Ronald Reagan on Thursday, May 5, 1988, designating the first Thursday of May as a day of national prayer. Every president since 1952 has signed a National Day of Prayer proclamation.”
For more information about the National Day of Prayer click below:
The prayer breakfast was sponsored locally by Cheney Witt Chapel, Pioneer Kiwanis, Fort Scott Ministerial Alliance, and Fort Scott Chamber of Commerce.
Kelley Collins, president of Pioneer Kiwanis welcomed the crowd.
Kelley Collins, president of Pioneer Kiwanis welcomes the crowd to the National Day of Prayer breakfast Thursday morning at the Ellis Fine Arts Center.
Pastor Norman Tillotson, who pastors the First Baptist Church and Cherry Grove Baptist Church gave both the invocation and benediction.
The presentation of the flags was by Olson-Frary-Burkhart Post #1165 V.F.W.
Attendees of the National Prayer Breakfast sing “God Bless America”.
Music was provided by Ronda Bailey, FSCC English instructor.
“Unity” was the topic by Pastor Danny Brown of Christian Gospel Chapel, based on Ephesians 4:3 “Making every effort to keep the unity of the spirit through the bond of peace.”
Danny Brown spoke on unity, the theme of the 2018 National Day of Prayer.
Because this month the Kiwanis Club of Fort Scott Pioneers is celebrating 30 years of serving the community, they served cupcakes to attendees as they were leaving the breakfast.
I asked God to stop the rain, to allow a rainless window of only an hour so people would attend the parade for the Combat Veterans. I texted prayer warriors. And every half-hour, I checked the radar. 100% chance of rain. Not to worry—meteorologists have been known to make mistakes. Besides, God’s decrees overrule anything weather forecasters predict.
Right?
Right.
Only this time, God didn’t intervene. As the Fort Scott police and sheriff’s officers lined up at the airport, no one complained about getting wet, and when the soldiers exited the plane, one of the officers told all of the staff to remove their hats—the hats that would somewhat protect them from the rain– in honor of those they were meeting. So, they stood there, hats over hearts, they, our own local heroes, saying thank you to their fellow protectors.
Leaving the airport before the caravan, I drove through town, praying harder for the rain to let up, and if that didn’t happen, that people would forego the bad weather and support the troops. I couldn’t help but tear up, seeing our American flag draping between two firetrucks on 10th and National. Friends congregating nearby with a huge, homemade banner. Houses sporting the Red, White, and Blue. Community College students lining the median on Highway 69. School children waiting in the rain with flags and posters. (Thank you, Mr. Beckham, school administrators and teachers for making this happen.) Civil War reenactors sitting atop their horses while carrying American flags and saluting these national champions. And then there was the mother of a veteran, waving pom-poms, alone at the end of Wall Street, jumping and cheering.
Small town caring at its best.
Still, God did not stop the rain.
The day after the parade, I spoke with Jenn, my daughter-in-law who, along with Adam, her husband, worked tirelessly to organize this event. When I asked her what the soldiers’ favorite part of the day had been, she did not hesitate. They all agreed. “That people would stand in the rain for us.”
Get that?
It was the rain that blew them away (thankfully, not literally).
At that moment, it dawned on me. Who wouldn’t eagerly leave school or their job or organize a yard get-together on a sunny day for such an occasion? But our citizens refused to let bad weather prevent them from saying thank you for the enormous sacrifices these men made for us.
God did not stop the rain. No doubt because Isaiah 55:8-9 is true. For my thoughts are not your thoughts,neither are your ways my ways,declares the Lord.As the heavens are higher than the earth,so are my ways higher than your waysand my thoughts than your thoughts.
