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American Legion Post 25 Upcoming Events
REVISED. There is not a color guard meeting on November 27.
November 15. Thursday. Post 25 Color Guard meets at 7 pm in Memorial Hall. Any Post 25 Legionnaire or SAL member can join the Post 25 Color Guard. This will be the only Color Guard meeting this month.
November 20. Tuesday. American Legion Post 25 Commander Carl Jowers has office hours at Memorial Hall from 9 – 11 am. Carl is available to discuss any suggestions or concerns you may have about Post 25, Veterans issues in general or just to help solve world problems. Carl will meet with you at other times by emailing him at [email protected] or calling him at 620-215-1688 to schedule an appointment.
November 20. Tuesday. American Legion Service Officer Myra Jowers is at Memorial Hall from 9 – 11 am. Myra is available to assist you with questions about your VA claims or paperwork. This free service is for ANY Veteran or family member who may have questions about starting a VA claim or have questions about next steps. Please share this information with any Veteran you may know who might need assistance in dealing with their VA paperwork.
November 20. Tuesday. Veterans Service Officer at Buck Run starting at 10 am. No appointment necessary. First come. First served.
November 22. Thursday. Happy Thanksgiving t0 our Legion family and its community supporters.
November 27. Tuesday. American Legion Service Officer Myra Jowers is at Memorial Hall from 9 – 11 am. Myra is available to assist you with questions about your VA claims or paperwork. This free service is for ANY Veteran or family member who may have questions about starting a VA claim or have questions about next steps. Please share this information with any Veteran you may know who might need assistance in dealing with their VA paperwork.
November 27. Tuesday. American Legion Post 25 Commander Carl Jowers has office hours at Memorial Hall from 9 – 11 am. Carl is available to discuss any suggestions or concerns you may have about Post 25, Veterans issues in general or just to help solve world problems. Carl will meet with you at other times by emailing him at [email protected] or calling him at 620-215-1688 to schedule an appointment.
November 29. Thursday. Post 25 Executive Committee meets at 7 pm in Memorial Hall.
Other items:
Post 25 is collecting gently used jackets and coats for the Fort Scott High School Seniors. Bring coats and jackets to the membership meeting on Monday, November 5, to Memorial Hall on Tuesday, November 6 during Commander’s office hours or call the Commander at 620-215-1688 to arrange local pickup. Coats and jackets may also be taken to Fort Scott High School offices.
Program Chairs needed.
- Boys/Girls State.
- Oratorical
- Baseball.
The only requirements to be a program chair is to be a Legionnaire and a desire to work with our young people. There are plenty of mentors to help you host a successful program.
Carl Jowers, Commander
Fort Scott American Legion Post 25
Landmark Receives Grant For Worksite Wellness
Landmark National Bank employees across Kansas will soon benefit from Worksite Wellness efforts in Fort Scott.
Since 2017, the Fort Scott Landmark National Branch has been working with WorkWell KS and The Healthy Bourbon County Action Team to implement sustainable worksite wellness policy, benefits, programs and environmental supports. With the implementation of a comprehensive worksite wellness plan, Landmark National Bank was awarded $12,500 through the BCBS KS Pathways to Healthy Kansas Grant to purchase environmental supports.
Employee health is a critical piece of any business strategy. Investing in a comprehensive worksite wellness plan can increase productivity, decrease absenteeism, injuries and presenteeism, improve employee morale, and enhance recruitment and retention efforts.
Recognizing the many benefits to health in the workplace, leaders formed a wellness committee and signed a BCBS Pathways to Healthy Worksite Pledge in March of 2017, demonstrating a commitment to employee wellness. Since that time, employees have participated in the WorkWell KS Building the Foundation, Physical Activity, and Healthy Food and Beverage Workshops.
The wellness committee collected information and analyzed data within the organization to develop a vision, consistent message, programs, benefits, policy, and environmental supports that will encourage employees to increase levels of physical activity.
In April 2018 Landmark National Bank Board of Directors passed the Physical Activity Policy encouraging all employees to develop a routine to increase daily physical activity.
“This policy impacts 30 banks in 23 communities and approximately 300 employees,” said Gregg Motley, Senior Vice President of Commercial Banking and SEK Regional Manager. “The employee participation we have seen in our wellness competitions across the region has been outstanding.”
For more information contact: Jody Hoener 620-215-5725 [email protected]
The Fort Scott Police Department Daily Reports Nov. 13-14
New Kitchen At Nate’s Place
From September 30 to October 12, Nate’s Place Resturant, closed down to do some updating in its kitchen.
The restaurant is located at 8th Street and National Avenue, in the southern mansion of what is known as Lyons Twin Mansions.
What initiated the update was a $5,000 grant from the Blue Cross Blue Shield Pathways to a Healthy Kansas initiative.
“With that grant, we added a new commercial freezer, a refrigerator, a warming table, new linen and silverware,” Shawn O’Brien, manager of the restaurant, said.
“Nate and Bailey (Lyons, owners of the restaurant) invested in a new tile floor in the kitchen, new paint, took out old cabinets and invested in new prep tables,” O’Brien said.
The bathroom of the restaurant was also renovated, he said.
“It was an exciting two weeks,” O’Brien said.
At that time the Lyons hired restaurant consultants to help with efficiency in the restaurant, he said.
During this time also the evening menu changed, adding two new entrees.
Following are the newly updated menus for the different shifts.
During this time the evening menu changed, adding two new entrees: house salad with chicken and a pasta alfredo.
The Bourbon County Sheriff’s Office Daily Reports Nov. 14
Broadband Test Results In Kansas: Challenging The FCC
Governor’s Office Challenges FCC Mobility Fund Phase II Eligibility Map
Test Results Could Mean More Funding for LTE Service Buildout in Kansas
Governor Jeff Colyer, M.D. announced that his office has successfully challenged the Federal Communication Commission’s Mobility Fund Phase II (MF-II) Eligibility Map, which the Commission will soon use to determine areas that will be eligible for funding for mobile LTE broadband service buildout in unserved areas. Unlike surrounding states, Kansas was originally slated to receive almost no funding from the MF-II program unless the initial eligibility map could be challenged. The map below indicates the areas that were initially deemed eligible for MF-II support (shaded in blue), based on coverage data reported by the nation’s mobile service providers.
Thanks to a $225,000 grant from the Information Network of Kansas (“INK”) Board of Directors, the Governor’s Office was able to partner with non-profit Connected Nation to conduct professional drive testing of mobile network coverage across the state. Between the months of June and September, Connected Nation staff covered 15,620 road miles to conduct tests across parts of 56 Kansas counties (Allen, Anderson, Barber, Barton, Bourbon, Brown, Butler, Chase, Clark, Comanche, Crawford, Decatur, Ellsworth, Ford, Geary, Graham, Grant, Greeley, Hamilton, Harper, Jackson, Jewell, Johnson, Kearny, Kingman, Kiowa, Linn, Logan, Marion, Marshall, McPherson, Mitchell, Morton, Nemaha, Neosho, Norton, Osborne, Phillips, Pottawatomie, Pratt, Rawlins, Republic, Riley, Rooks, Russell, Saline, Seward, Shawnee, Sheridan, Sherman, Smith, Stanton, Stevens, Thomas, Wallace, and Wichita). The areas tested were chosen based on analysis of areas that were reported to be served by no more than two mobile carriers—areas deemed most likely to be unserved.
Of the 187,397 tests that were conducted, 119,994 failed (64.03%)—meaning that the tests indicated less than 5 Mbps of mobile data service, or no service at all, in areas that the carriers had reported to be served. The Governor’s Office was then able to use the testing data to challenge 13,158.63 square kilometers of the MF-II Eligibility Map—or 5,080.58 square miles—an area slightly smaller than the state of Connecticut. While the challenge data submitted is still subject to review and adjudication by the FCC, it is now possible that a significant portion of the state of Kansas will be opened up for MF-II funding support—meaning many rural Kansans could finally see their mobile services improve.
The map below shows individual speed tests conducted in Jewell County. Red dots indicate failed tests, while green dots show passing tests.
“Mobile broadband service has become an essential tool in the daily lives of all Kansans, regardless of where they live, and it is quickly becoming a necessary resource for agriculture as well,” said Governor Colyer. “I have driven all across this state, and I know how poor mobile coverage can be in some areas. That’s why I was shocked to see that the FCC’s Mobility Fund Phase II eligibility map showed almost zero eligibility for funding in Kansas. I knew we had to do something. With support from the INK Board and our partners at Connected Nation, we did—and now there is a great chance that we’ll see large swaths of service buildout in rural parts of the state.”
The map below indicates all of the one square kilometer grid cells that were challenged within Kansas:
It is important to note that the Governor’s Office’s MF-II challenge will be supplemented by testing conducted by Kansas Farm Bureau, which received a waiver from the FCC to file its own challenge. Kansas Farm Bureau has been working aggressively over the same period in collaboration with its membership to conduct thousands of mobile speed tests across the state—the results of which will be announced later this month. To participate, or to learn more about Kansas Farm Bureau’s efforts, visit www.kfb.org/connectingkansas. All MF-II challenge data must be submitted no later than November 26.
Toy Soldiers Painting Contest: Entries Due Nov. 30
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Obituary of Gregory Heathman
Gregory Dean Heathman, 52, Nevada, MO, passed away on Thursday, November 1, 2018 at Medicalodges of Nevada.
Greg was born November 17, 1965 in Nevada to Bert Allen and Ida Pauline (Hogan) Heathman.
Greg was raised in Lansing, KS then came to Ft. Scott with his family where he graduated from High School in 1985. Greg worked for various restaurants including Pizza Hut in Ft. Scott and Nevada, becoming manager in Nevada. He also worked at Woods Supermarket in the Deli, at Walmart Radio Grill, and later in the meat department at Walmart where he was manager until retiring due to poor health.
Throughout his life Greg was a Christian.
Survivors include a sister, Rhonda Pottorff, Nevada; brothers, Glen “Allen” Heathman, Nevada, and an adopted brother, David Cagle and his wife Abby, Nevada; niece, Angela Witt and her husband Adam, Sheboygan, WI; sons, Nick Cagle, Nevada, Tyler Cagle, Nevada; daughter, Katie Cagle, Ft. Scott, KS; four grandchildren, Kayden, Bentley, Laylah, Analaya; several aunts, uncles, and cousins. He was preceded in death by his parents, and one sister, Ruby Heathman.
Memorial services will be held at 1:30 p.m. on Thursday, November 15, 2018 at Ferry Funeral Home in Nevada with Pastor David Rorabaugh officiating. Friends may call now and until the hour of service at the funeral home.
Memorials are suggested to the Family in c/o Ferry Funeral Home.
Obituary for Mary Frances Townsend
Mary Frances Townsend, age 88, a resident of Ft. Scott, Kansas, passed away Monday, November 12, 2018, at the Mercy Hospital in Ft. Scott.
She was born January 10, 1930, in Ft. Scott, the daughter of Dewey E. McFadden and Virginia Crick McFadden.
She graduated from the Ft. Scott High School with the Class of 1947. She married Howard Eugene Townsend in 1950, at Blytheville, Arkansas.
Mary graduated from the Mercy School of Nursing and became a registered nurse. She was employed by both Mercy Hospital and Newman Young Clinic and retired in 1991. She was a long-time member of St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church and later St. Francis Anglican Church. She enjoyed traveling and genealogy and especially working in her yard and tending her flowers.
Survivors include her children, Debra Ramsey of Uniontown, Kansas and Mike Townsend (Tammy), of Ft. Scott; four grandchildren, Lisa Stich (Aaron) of Springfield, Missouri, Michael P. Townsend of Collinsville, Oklahoma, Brandon Boyd of Ft. Scott and Steve Ramsey (Courtney), of Colorado Springs, Colorado and five great-grandchildren, Alden, Lake, Landree, Aiden and Denton. She was preceded in death by her husband and a brother, Ernest McFadden.
Father David Lewis-Dix will conduct a Requiem Mass at 10:00 A.M. Friday, November 16th at the Cheney Witt Chapel.
Burial will follow in the U. S. National Cemetery. Memorials are suggested to the COPD Foundation 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.
Mercy Hospital Update by Reta Baker
On October 1, 2018, Fort Scott Mercy Hospital President Reta Baker announced the closing of the hospital at years end.
Mercy Hospital has been a part of the community since 1885, and the news sent shock waves into Bourbon County and all of Kansas.
Baker has been working on transitioning to a new medical care system in Fort Scott in these specific areas: a medical clinic, an ambulance service, a patient transportation service, an emergency room service, therapy services and home health and hospice services.
The following is an update provided from Baker, following a request from FortScott.Biz.
“New models of care are becoming a reality for many rural communities,” Baker said. “It is not an easy change. At the Kansas Hospital Association meeting this week it was reported that 73% of the rural hospitals report having a negative operating margin, and over the upcoming year we will see many more communities faced with this change and we may be in a position to be the cutting edge example of doing this successfully.
“These new models of care have at least at least three components, we are striving for five:
- A clinic that is designed to meet the needs of the community. Mercy has assured this need is met through the transition of all clinic operations to the Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas (CHC/SEK). They are a primary care clinic with expanded services to support dental and behavioral needs of communities they serve. CHC/SEK is in the process of interviewing and hiring as many of our current staff as they can accommodate. The following list of providers have confirmed that they will be continuing their practices with CHC/SEK:
- Dr. Katrina Burke, who will continue to provide prenatal care and deliver babies at Via Christi in Pittsburg.
- Dr. Maxwell Self, who will continue to provide support to the Home Health and Hospice.
- Dr. P.K. Gugnani, who will continue to provide an important role in our occupational medicine efforts.
- Beth Newkirk ARNP will practice part-time at the FS location.
- Pam Moyer, ARNP, will be joining CHC/SEK in the FS location, she has worked convenient care and is currently working in the ER.
- Christine O’Dell, ARNP, who will continue to practice at the Convenient Care Location.
- Hannah Born, ARNP, will be practicing with CHC/SEK at the Pittsburg location.
- Amber Hunziker, ARNP, will be practicing with CHC/SEK in the Pittsburg and Arma location.
- Amanda Stice, ARNP, will continue her practice with CHC/SEK.
The following list of providers are continuing to consider their options:
- Dr. Larry Seals has not decided where his office will be located but intends to remain in the area, and will be delivering babies at Nevada Regional or Via Christi.
- Dr. John Fox has not decided where his office will be located but intends to remain in the area, once he makes his choice this will be shared with the community.
- Greg King, ARNP, has not decided where his office will be located but also intends to remain in the area, once he makes his choice this will be shared with the community.
- A strong ambulance service. Mercy has been contracted by (Bourbon) County to provide the ambulance service since 1991. Mercy is working with the county to transition ownership of the ambulances and equipment to the county. The county will engage the City (of Fort Scott) under the structure of the fire department to operate the ambulance. It is expected that the same highly trained staff will provide the service seamlessly to the community.
- A transportation system to facilitate patients being able to get to provider appointments as well as to those that require a specialist. Through CHC/SEK, facilitating transportation to physician appointments if they have no means of transportation, is a service they do provide.
- An emergency room is an added component we are striving for and consider a high priority but is not always present in rural models. Mercy is in discussion with an entity for the provision of an emergency department. This entity is in the process of completing due diligence to determine whether it can be a feasible and sustainable investment for them. As with the other services, Mercy is facilitating to remain in the community all of the equipment to operate the ER would be transitioned to this entity.
- Therapy services of physical, speech and OT which is another added and the fifth component to the model of care. A group of therapists has formed a company “I Am Rehab” to provide physical and occupational therapy as well as the continued (Health For Life) fitness center facilities for the community.
“Mercy has offered and is willing to work with the city and county to facilitate a smooth transition of EMS and ambulance services.
“Home health and hospice services will continue but transition around Feb. 1, 2019, to the new name of Integrity. A large percentage of the providers will stay with the new management. The service area will remain the same and perhaps expand.”
Chamber After-Hours Event: Nate’s Place Today
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