Paul Vernon Russell, age 87, a life-long resident of Redfield, Kansas, passed away Thursday, December 20, 2018, at the Medicalodge in Fort Scott.
He was born July 1, 1931, on the family farm in Redfield, the son of John Russell and Muriel Boileau Russell.
Paul graduated from the Uniontown High School. He served with the United States Army from 1953 to 1955 where he was stationed in Germany.
Following his military service, he graduated from Pittsburg State University.
Paul married Clarice Needham on June 9, 1957, in Mapleton, Kansas.
Paul taught business classes at both Elsmore and Moran High Schools. He retired from teaching in 1991.
In addition to teaching, Paul also maintained the family farm and raised beef cattle.
He was a member of the Mount Orum Baptist Church and had served as Sunday School Superintendent for thirty years.
He had also served on the Marmaton Township Board.
Survivors include his wife, Clarice, of the home; a son, Curtis Russell and wife, Susan, of Sugar City, Colorado and a daughter, Marsha Tucker and husband, Ken, of Terra Haute, Indiana. Also surviving are three grandsons, Jason Russell, Chad Russell and Russell Tucker and three great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his parents and two brothers, Bernard and Dale Russell.
Rev. Waylon Ingle will conduct funeral services at 10:30 A.M. Thursday, December 27th at the Mt. Orum Baptist Church.
Burial will follow in the Mount Orum Cemetery.
The family will receive friends from 5 to 7 P.M. Wednesday evening at the Cheney Witt Chapel.
Memorials are suggested to the Mt. Orum Baptist Church and may be left in 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.
Elvis M. Reeder, age 87, resident of Bronson, KS, died Friday morning, December 21, 2018, at Freeman Hospital West in Joplin, MO. Services for Elvis Reeder will be announced by the Cheney Witt Chapel, 201 S. Main.
Fort Scott City Manager Dave Martin gave the attendees of the Chamber of Commerce weekly coffee an update on the 2018 happenings in the city on Dec. 20.
“We got a lot accomplished in 2018,” Martin said. “We had some things thrown at us, but I think we stepped up to the plate.”
The following, provided by Martin, are the completed projects that were a high priority:
Tourism:
The city welcomed more than 5,500 visitors to the new tourism office at the office shared with the Chamber of Commerce, 445 visitor tours on Dolly the Trolley since July, a new lavender festival event, a new Boos and Brews Event, a new Veteran’s Weekend Celebration, the assumption of operations at the La Roche Complex and a Division 1 World Series proposal, the county law change on 30 percent food requirements allowed for the local microbrewery business.
Emergency services:
The city installed the Nex Gen Att and Hosted ITI at the police and fire department, signed a contract with the county to collaborate on Emergency Medical Services and will provide the Human Resource assistance with the services, and added a police K-9 unit with no impact to the budget.
Human Resources:
As of December 2018, there are 97 full-time and 29 part-time employees of the City of Fort Scott. There are monthly KMU training sessions and continued education for all departments. The city is working with Craw-Kan Telephone on a phased upgrade to the IT infrastructure. The city provided a physical activity initiative for its employees and also updated the employee handbook. The city provided an FSA vendor administration transition.
There are four city personnel retirements: Jon Garrison on Sept. 9, Kenny Howard on Dec. 28, Johnny Keating on Jan. 3. 2019, and Shaun West on Dec. 20. There will be a reception for Howard on Dec. 28 at 2 p.m. at city hall and reception for Keating on Jan 3 at 2 p.m. at the fire station.
Promotions this year: Rhonda Dunn to Director of Finance, Jerry Morgan to Streets Supervisor, Jason Pickert to Police Captain, Jacob May and Clint Roberts to Fire Dept. Captain, Alex Schafer, and Clint Lawrence to FSFD Lieutenant Reserves to full-time.
Dav Mohler and Cody McGehee graduated from the Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center.
New employees are Robert Uhler, Director of Community Development; Seth Simpson, airport manager; Bill Rost, WWC maintenance.
Those who have taken the Certified Public Manager designation, a program to prepare managers for careers in government: 2001-Dave Martin, 2014-Paul Ballou, 2015-Travis Shelton, 2016-Dave Bruner, and Traci Reed, 2017-Jason Pickert, 2018-Chad Brown and Larry Gazaway, 2019-Robert Uhler and Michael Mix.
Streets and streets:
The city spent $200,000 on streets in 2018.
The 2018 Sidewalk, Curb and Gutter Program approved six grants in the amount of $12,000 with owner investment of $24,595.
Water utility:
The city maintained 220 miles of water and sewer lines, including 3,100 water connections, rebuilt pump no. 1 and the Fort Scott Community College booster update, added pickleball court lighting, generator load bank, and valve leash, PACP Certification, Vactor training from Key Equipment, added GIS map update, announced refusal to accept grease loads, and provided multiple repairs to the sanitary sewer system.
Community Amenities:
There was a new public golf cart shed constructed, expansion of Craw-Kan Telephone Cooperative fiber network and updates at Lake Fort Scott.
Finance/Codes:
There were 309 building permits issued for revenue of $8,340.
The number of codes cases resulting in a letter or ticket was 473. There were 27 demolition projects: nine were torn down by the city at a cost of $31,043; ten were torn down by the owner which saved $35,000; four were owner repaired; four are in process.
The three officers and director have achieved Kansas Certified Code Enforcement Officer status.
Community Development:
A Fort Scott Landbank was established.
A new direction is being taken by the Food Alliance, with the possibility of a community food bank.
A healthcare task force was formed between the city and Bourbon County.
Economic Development:
Business assistance for relocation, expansion and new businesses was provided by Bourbon County Economic Develpment Council.
A City of Fort Scott Five-Year Comprehensive Plan was approved.
The city reapplied for Kansas Housing Tax Credits to support redevelopment of the Union Building, downtown. This project will add much-needed housing for the workforce.
The city approved nine Downtown Building Improvement Grants totaling $38,904 with an owner investment of $54,898.
The airport revenue increased 75-percent in jet fuel sales from 2017 to 2018. The airport received $286,522 in Kansas Dept. of Transportation Aviation Grants from the Ks. Airport Improvement Program. Grants were completed for future airport expansion.
The following letter, written to Santa and sent to me in an email, probably can tell the story of many young mothers.
Dear Santa,
I’ve been a good mom all year. I’ve fed, cleaned and cuddled my two children on demand, sold sixty-two cases of candy bars to raise money to plant a shade tree on the school playground, and figured out how to attach nine patches onto my daughter’s girl scout sash with staples and a glue gun. I was hoping you could spread my list out over several Christmases since I had to write this letter with my son’s red crayon, on the back of a receipt in the laundry room between cycles, and who knows when I’ll find any more free time in the next 18 years. Here are my Christmas wishes: I’d like a pair of legs that don’t ache after a day of chasing kids (in any color, except purple, which I already have) and arms that don’t flap in the breeze but are strong enough to carry a screaming toddler out of the candy aisle in the grocery store. I’d also like a waist, since I lost mine somewhere in the seventh month of my last pregnancy. If you’re hauling big ticket items this year, I’d like a car with a radio that only plays adult music, a television that doesn’t broadcast any programs containing talking animals and a refrigerator with a secret compartment behind the crisper where I can hide to talk on the phone. On the practical side, I could use a talking daughter doll that says, “Yes, Mommy” to boost my parental confidence, and three pairs of jeans that will zip all the way up without the use of power tools. And please don’t forget the Playdoh Travel Pack. It comes in three fluorescent colors and is guaranteed to crumble on any carpet making the in-laws’ house seem just like mine. If it’s too late to find any of these products, I’d settle for enough time to brush my teeth and comb my hair in the same morning, or the luxury of eating food warmer than room temperature without it being served in a Styrofoam container. Well, Santa, the buzzer on the dryer is ringing and my son saw my feet under the laundry room door. I think he wants his crayon back. Have a safe trip and remember to leave your wet boots by the chimney and come in and dry off by the fire so you don’t catch a cold. Help yourself to cookies on the table but don’t eat too many or leave crumbs on the carpet. Yours Always…Mom
To all of you Moms, Dads and other readers of this column, I hope this Christmas is filled with blessings celebrating Jesus Christ. To Him be all the glory. He is my Lord and Savior. I pray he is yours too.
Donna Lynn Bruner, age 73, resident of Ft. Scott, KS, died Wednesday, December 19, 2018, at the Mercy Hospital emergency room.
She was born on September 22, 1945, in Nevada, MO, the daughter of Ava “Brownie” Brown and Ethel Goins Brown.
She attended Ft. Scott schools until December of her senior year when her family moved to Spring Hill, KS. She always considered herself a member of the FSHS Class of 1963.
She married Evert Eugene “Gene” Bruner on December 20, 1963, in Ft. Scott. He preceded her in death on June 19, 2015.
Donna worked for Western Insurance Company in Ft. Scott for ten years, beginning in 1963. After her boys started kindergarten, she began working for Fort Scott Middle School from 1978 until her retirement in 2015.
Donna enjoyed cross stitch, reading, tending her flowers and watching birds at her numerous birdfeeders. She enjoyed working with the Fort Scott kids at school. Her great love was spending time with her family and watching all the grandkids’ activities.
Survivors include her daughter, Genea Bruner, Ft. Scott; two sons, David Bruner and wife Michelle, Ft. Scott, and Darren Bruner and wife Tracie, Lee’s Summit, MO; a brother, Terry Brown and wife Kristy, Spring Hill, KS; a sister-in-law, Katherine Ann Pritchett, Pratt, KS; grandchildren Kylie and Dylan, Ft. Scott, and Ben, Lee’s Summit; and several nieces and nephews.
Besides her husband Gene, she was preceded in death by her parents; and in-laws, Homer and Dortha Bruner.
Rev. Dusty Drake will conduct funeral services at 12:00 P.M. Wednesday, December 26th, at the Community Christian Church.
Burial will follow in the U. S. National Cemetery.
The family will receive friends from 11:00 until 12:00 Wednesday, prior to the service, at the church.
Memorials are suggested to the American Heart Association and may be left in care of the Cheney Witt Chapel, P.O. Box 347, 201 S. Main, Ft. Scott, KS 66701. Words of remembrance may be submitted to the online guestbook at cheneywitt.com.
The Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) requests comments on an amendment to the FFY 2019-2022 Statewide Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) document.
The STIP is a project specific publication that lists all KDOT administered projects, regardless of funding source, and includes projects for counties and cities as well as projects on the State Highway System. The list of projects being amended to the STIP can be viewed at http://www.ksdot.org/bureaus/burProgProjMgmt/stip/stip.asp
The approval of the STIP amendment requires a public comment period, which concludes Jan. 2, 2019. To make comments on the amendment, contact KDOT’s Bureau of Program and Project Management at (785) 296-2252.
This information is available in alternative accessible formats. To obtain an alternative format, contact the KDOT Office of Public Affairs, (785) 296-3585 (Voice/Hearing Impaired-711).
The Fort Scott Presbyterian Village team, with Ginger Nance, center, are surrounded by members of the Presbyterian Manors of Mid-America board of trustees, senior leadership and regional support team following the presentation of the PMMA Emerald Award. This is Fort Scott’s first Emerald Award.
WICHITA, Kan. — Fort Scott Presbyterian Village was recognized with an Emerald Award from Presbyterian Manors of Mid-America for reaching goals in fiscal year 2018, July 1, 2017, through June 30, 2018.
The recognition came through PMMA’s Emerald Awards Program, designed to encourage its 17 locations and two hospices to achieve high levels of resident and employee satisfaction, meet financial goals, build philanthropic support for the organization’s mission and meet marketing goals. There are 11 areas measured for the Emerald Awards.
To receive an emerald, a community has to meet its goals in all 11 areas. Team members from the community attended PMMA’s annual Emerald Award Banquet Dec. 6 at the Broadview Hotel in Wichita to accept the award.
“We are pleased to present Fort Scott Presbyterian Village with its first Emerald Award. This recognition is a visible sign of the Fort Scott team’s commitment to the mission of PMMA of providing quality senior services guided by Christian values,” said Bruce Shogren, chief executive officer for PMMA.
Presbyterian Manors of Mid-America has been providing quality senior services guided by Christian values in Kansas and Missouri for nearly 70 years.
For more information about Fort Scott Presbyterian Village, contact Marketing Director Becky Kellum at 620-223-5550 or [email protected].
Fort Scott Presbyterian Village has been offering independent and assisted living apartments for seniors from southeast Kansas and southwest Missouri since 1994. Learn more at FortScottPresbyterianVillage.org. It is a member of the nonprofit Presbyterian Manors of Mid-America network of 17 communities and 2 hospices in Kansas and Missouri. Learn more about PMMA at PresbyterianManors.org.
CHC/SEK Welcomes Fort Scott Medical Providers Dr. Katrina Burke, Dr. Larry Seals, Amanda Stice APRN, Dr. Maxwell Self, Kristine O’Dell APRN, Pamela Moyers APRN and Dr. Pankaj Gugnani. (Not pictured are Hannah Born APRN and Amber Hunziker APRN)
(Pittsburg, KS) – The Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas (CHC/SEK) is preparing for a very busy new year as it will assume operations of five clinics in Bourbon, Linn and Crawford counties beginning January 1.
Following the news that Mercy Health System would be closing the hospital in Fort Scott, it was announced that CHC/SEK would take over operations of Mercy’s primary care clinics in Fort Scott, Pleasanton and Arma.
“Mercy recognized the impact that closing the hospital would have and approached us about preserving access to care in Bourbon and Linn counties,” said CHC/SEK CEO Krista Postai adding that CHC/SEK also recognized the need. “We immediately began working with them on a transition plan.”
CHC/SEK will officially assume operations of the Mercy clinics at 601 East Washington in Arma and 11155 Tucker Road in Pleasanton on January 1. CHC/SEK will also transition the Mound City Family Care clinic — which is owned by the Mound City Medical Foundation and currently under the management of the Olathe Health System — on January 1.
Postai said transition of the Fort Scott clinics will begin on February 1 with Convenient Care at 1624 South National changing its name to CHC/SEK Walk-In Care.
“The hours and services will stay the same,” said Postai. “For most people, the only change they will notice will be the name on the building.”
The main clinic located inside the hospital at 401 Woodland Hills Blvd. will be managed by Mercy until January 31. It will then be closed until February 4 when it reopens as part of CHC/SEK. Postai said the clinic will have the same hours and offer the same services.
“We will continue to provide primary medical care along with obstetrics, lab, x-ray and immunizations,” she said. “We also plan to continue to offer mammograms and provide space for specialists including the Cancer Center of Kansas.”
Postai added that CHC/SEK will also operate the retail pharmacy next to the main clinic. “The only difference patients should notice is lower costs for their prescriptions,” she said. “It will have the same hours and you will see the same faces as before.”
Postai said the question she hears most often has to do with staff, particularly which medical providers will be staying with the organization.
“We are pleased to welcome Dr. Katrina Burke, Dr. Larry Seals, Dr. Maxwell Self and Dr. Pankaj Gugnani from Fort Scott as well as Dr. Jay Allen from Mound City to our medical staff,” said Postai. “Dr. Seals and Dr. Burke will also provide delivery services at Via Christi Hospital in Pittsburg.”
CHC/SEK Welcomes Rhonda Kellstadt APRN, Brad Young APRN and Kristyn Milburn APRN in PleasantonCHC/SEK Welcomes Kim Burns APRN in Arma
Postai added that several nurse practitioners will also make the transition including Amanda Stice, Pamela Moyers, Kristine O’Dell, Hannah Born, Amber Hunziker, Brad Young, Kristyn Milburn, Rhonda Kellstadt, Kim Burns and Kelsey Welch.
CHC/SEK Welcomes Dr. Jay Allen and Kelsey Welch APRN in Mound City
“We have also hired local Practice Managers who will be on-site to oversee the daily operations,” said Postai. “Amy Budy will oversee the Bourbon County clinics and Tesia Coffey will be in charge of the clinics in Linn County.”
Postai went on to say the addition of five clinics along with a combined total of more than 15,000 patients and approximately 75 staff members represents an estimated 35 percent growth for CHC/SEK.
“This is not only the largest undertaking in our 15-year history,” she said. “It is quite possibly the most significant.”
In the meantime, Postai said one of the biggest tasks CHC/SEK is working on right now is transferring all of the electronic medical records which can be very time consuming. “Every patient needs to sign a release form in order for us to do that.”
Postai encouraged all current patients of the Mercy clinics or Mound City Family Care to complete the forms which are available on CHC/SEK’s website at www.chcsek.org/medicalrecords.
About Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas. Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas (CHC/SEK) is a non-profit Federally Qualified Health Center dedicated to providing affordable, high quality medical, dental, behavioral health, pharmacy and out
