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Mary’s Precious Puppies In Ongoing Investigation For Animal Suffering and Neglect
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals sent this press release on August 7 to fortscott.biz.
The release was sent to Bourbon County Attorney Tiana McElroy and McElroy answered a request for verification with this statement:
“This is an ongoing investigation so I am unable to comment on either email you have included below,” McElroy said.
PETA has received damning U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) reports documenting that dogs’ fur was matted with feces, dogs were left panting inside a sweltering building, and some were painfully disfigured at Mary’s Precious Puppies, a local puppy mill operated by Mary Moore. In response, PETA sent a letter today to Bourbon County Attorney Tiana McElroy asking her to investigate and file applicable charges against those responsible for the animals’ suffering and neglect.
According to the reports, on May 2, Moore admitted to a USDA veterinarian that she had wrapped bands around the tails of three puppies in order to cause the appendages to fall off—“a painful” mutilation, according to the veterinarian, who also found that more than a dozen dogs’ coats were “heavily matted,” including with dried and fresh feces. Another dog, Keeshond, was “not bearing any weight on his left front leg,” which is “a significant indicator of pain.” Weeks later, Keeshond was found to be lame in his right front leg and Moore failed to immediately consult a veterinarian, despite being ordered to do so. And on May 30, up to 20 dogs were found panting in a building where the temperature had reached 93.2 degrees.
“This breeding hellhole has treated dogs like cheap equipment and left them to languish in squalor,” says PETA Vice President of Evidence Analysis Daniel Paden. “PETA urges Bourbon County authorities to prosecute those responsible for these dogs’ suffering and encourages everyone never to buy animals from pet stores or breeders and to adopt from shelters instead.”
PETA is pursuing charges under state law because the USDA does not render relief or aid to animals during its inspections and these violations carry no federal criminal or civil penalties.
PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to abuse in any way”—opposes speciesism, a human-supremacist worldview. For more information, please visit PETA.org, listen to The PETA Podcast, or follow the group on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram.
I can be reached at 682-395-1238 or [email protected]. Please don’t hesitate to contact me if you have any questions.
PETA’s letter to McElroy follows.
August 7, 2023
The Honorable Tiana McElroy
Bourbon County Attorney
Dear Ms. McElroy:
I hope this letter finds you well. I’m writing to request that your office (and the proper law-enforcement agency, as you deem appropriate) investigate and, as suitable, file criminal charges against those responsible for neglecting dogs at Mary’s Precious Puppies, a breeding facility operated by Mary Moore at 1567 75th St. near Uniontown. PETA hopes investigators will visit the facility with a veterinarian who has expertise in canine health and welfare so that they can identify any animals in need of care and opine on the conditions of and for the approximately 28 animals there.
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) veterinarians documented neglect at the facility in the attached reports. On May 2, Moore reportedly admitted to a veterinarian that she had wrapped bands around the tails of three puppies in order to cause the appendages to fall off, which is “a painful process,” according to the veterinarian. The veterinarian also found that 13 dogs’ coats were “heavily matted,” including with dried and fresh feces. Another dog, Keeshond, was “not bearing any weight on his left front leg,” which is “a significant indicator of pain.” Moore was ordered to resolve the issue of the 13 dogs’ matted coats by May 3.
But on May 3, USDA officials found that Moore had “not groomed any of the dogs.” They found five more dogs who were “seriously matted.” When four USDA officials arrived at Moore’s facility on May 4, they found brown debris—consistent with ear infections and other ailments—in the ear of one dog, who had evidently not received veterinary care for the condition. On May 30, up to 20 dogs were found panting in a building where the temperature had reached 93.2 degrees. The same day, Keeshond was found to be lame in his right front leg. Moore was ordered to have him examined by a veterinarian, but as of May 31, she “still [had] not consulted a veterinarian about” his latest ailment.
These findings may violate Kansas’ anti-cruelty statute, K.S.A. 21-6411. The USDA renders no aid or relief whatsoever to animals on site, and these reports carry no criminal or civil penalties and don’t preempt criminal liability under state law for neglecting animals. If you’d like to learn more about the USDA’s findings, please see the contact information for its office in Riverdale, Maryland, here. Thank you for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
Daniel Paden
Vice President of Evidence Analysis
PETA
Brittney Williams
PR Coordinator, Media Relations
P: 682-395-1238 | M-F 9am- 5:30pm EST
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA)
If you ever have an animal emergency and local authorities are unresponsive, please email [email protected]. For after-hours emergencies, please call 757-622-PETA (757-622-7382) and listen to the prompts. Thank you!
New U234 Teachers: Deatsch, Turner
This is a series introducing the 20 new Fort Scott teachers.
Distict Events Taken From https://www.usd234.org/ :
August 12 from 4-6 p.m. there is a Core Communities Poverty Simulation :https://advanceboco.ticketspice.com/core-communities-poverty-simulationat 1105 E 12th St, Fort Scott
Aug 14 from 5:30 to 7 p.m. is the monthly board of education meeting at 424 S. Main, Fort Scott.
August 15 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. is the Fort Scott High School Open House at 1005 S Main St, Fort Scott.
School starts on August 18
Erin Deatsch, 24, is a new kindergarten teacher at Winfield Scott Elementary School.
She taught for two years for Kansas City Kansas Public Schools as a kindergarten teacher.
Deatsch earned a BSE from Emporia State University.
Her hometown Louisburg, Kansas.
“Teaching has always been what I wanted to do ever since I was a little girl,” she said. “I was that friend that had the chalkboard and always wanted to play school. In high school I had some of the best educators who really cared about their students and I wanted to be that for someone someday.”
“In education sometimes you have students who have a rough home life,” she said. “Every child deserves a champion and someone who is consistently going to bat for them. I love being that person. Knowing I make a difference for these little kinderbabies (as I like to call my students). Watching them… from being shy and meek in their abilities to knowing what they are capable of and believing in themselves no matter how many mistakes that they may make.”
“The greatest challenge for teaching for me is the time management with my home life,” she said. “I want to do so much for my kiddos that I sometimes take work home and don’t spend as much time with my daughter as I would like. I want to be the best teacher I can be and do the most for my students but it takes a lot of preparation to be able to do that!”
She has a 2 year-old daughter, Eleanor.
In her spare time she “enjoys making memories with my loved ones by taking trips…and going to new places while my daughter competes in pageants! She loves them!”
Candy Turner, 43, is a new special education teacher at Fort Scott Preschool.
She has 17 years of working with children: five years teaching 4th grade in Nevada MO, five years working for Sek-Cap Head Start Birth- 5 year-olds, two years title math in Arma, three years teaching kindergarten, 1st grade at Pleasanton, two years at Galesburg teaching Kindergarten- 6th grade pull out.
In 2003 she earned a bachelors degree in Elementary Education and in 2004 a masters in Early Childhood both from Pittsburg State University.
Her hometown is Fort Scott.
She has a son Landon, 16, a junior at FSHS and a daughter, London, an eighth grader at FSMS.
Outside of school, “I love watching my kids do what they love and spending time with my family. I enjoy traveling and seeing new things.”
Her Aunt Mary Ann inspired her to be a teacher, she said. “Over the years I wanted to be a teacher because I wanted to ensure that every child had an opportunity to learn at their full potential in a fun, safe, caring environment.”
The best thing about teaching is “Seeing students learn new things and celebrating their progress with them.”
A challenge for her is “Saying goodbye at the end of the year,” she said. ” Each child I work with becomes part of my heart and family so when they move on I miss getting to see them every day.”
Poverty Speaker: Solving Poverty and Healing Trauma
ALL are invited and welcome to attend the Poverty Paradigm event this Saturday, August 12 at 4 p.m. at Fort Scott Middle School.The cost is $10 to participate.
If individuals want to participate, but cannot afford the $10, contact Jennifer Michaud: phone: 785-230-7010 or email
[email protected]
The speaker is Rebecca Lewis-Pankratz.
To get a ticket, see the flyer below.
About the Speaker: Rebecca Lewis-Pankratz
Rebecca Lewis-Pankratz works with both communities and schools across the US to truly solve poverty and heal trauma, according to a press release. She does this by helping caring leaders create sustainable ecosystems of resilience through building better relationships.
Rebecca fought her way out of poverty and the trailer park in 2011 with three young sons. A local poverty resolution project found Rebecca and activated her journey. She later went to work for that non-profit and then went on to build multiple projects like it to help more families. In 2015 She started working with public education and ignited a trauma-informed schools movement in her state and beyond.
Rebecca experienced a lifetime of trauma and poverty and through access to buffering relationships she healed from both and continues to light the path for others.
Schools:
Rebecca is a Co-Founder of the ESSDACK Resilience Team. Rebecca and her team have walked alongside well over 100 Kindergarten through12th grade schools, equipping their staff as they journey toward becoming trauma-informed. The Resilience Team’s core value is that in order to create more positive outcomes for children, we must focus on transforming the adults who are important in these kids’ lives.
Communities:
Additionally, Rebecca and her team have partnered with Youth Core Ministries out of Greensburg Kansas to establish and sustain poverty resolution projects across Kansas and Illinois. Currently they are working with over 200 families who are systematically building their paths out of poverty.
Rebecca is widely known in Kansas and across the United States for her extensive work building trauma-informed schools. She is a captivating presenter and her lived experience of escaping poverty when she was 40 years old, with three young children, invites people into her undeniable experience of healing, hope and restoration.
Rebecca has 8 ACEs (Adverse Childhood Experiences) which she lived out as an adult with addiction, domestic violence, poverty and pain. She captivates audiences with her ability to weave concepts in with stories and helps people understand what is typically getting in the way of adopting the movement of trauma-informed schools. More importantly, Rebecca helps participants identify where they are, where they want to go, and how they want to get there. She is a master facilitator, a generous storyteller, and has an uncanny way of helping people boil down and absorb deep concepts around the brain, behavior, and healing.
Rebecca has shown the light for hundreds of schools and thousands of teachers on the path of equipping trauma-informed cultures and frameworks. She is well known for her carefully crafted work on:
- Behavior is a Brain Issue and Not a Character Issue
- Unpacking Behaviorism and its devastating effects on kids and families from trauma
- Poverty and Trauma: Brains Wired for Survival
- Understanding the science of the brain and resilience and how the brain wants to heal and can heal at any age
- No kid, regardless of their story is a lost cause
- Is it really all about choices?
- Healing a fight/flight/freeze brain into a cause and effect brain within our schools
- How Resilience is Built: The External Requirements for Thriving, Despite Adversity
- Truly, it IS all about the relationships
- Punishment Versus Discipline: The Hardest Hill in Equipping Trauma-Informed Schools for Sustainability
Rebecca coined the popular Resilience phrase “I see you, I hear you, I am with you.” This is the foundation for building resilience in ALL kids and staff.
To learn more:
The Bourbon County Sheriff’s Office Daily Reports August 10
Road/Weather Motorist Info New Web Address
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Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes Newsletter August 2023
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U.S. Hwy. 69 Corridor Study Starting Over
KDOT stopping work on U.S. 69 Crawford County Corridor western alignment; starting new corridor study later this year
In response to feedback from communities and residents along U.S. 69 in Crawford County, the Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) is stopping any further progress on developing the western alignment of the Crawford County Corridor (also known as the Pittsburg Bypass). This includes stopping design work and planned construction of the U.S. 160 improvements (Phase 3) of the Crawford County Corridor. That project would have extended U.S. 160 to the west along 590th Avenue.
Discussions about improving the U.S. 69 corridor have been happening for decades. The project would expand an 18-mile corridor of U.S. 69 to a four-lane freeway, starting at the Cherokee-Crawford county line and continuing north of the City of Arma.
Over time, KDOT has done preliminary engineering and environmental reviews, working with cities and counties along the U.S. 69 corridor. The last study on the project was completed in 2012, and at that time, the western alignment was presented as the preferred alternative. While there have been ongoing conversations through KDOT’s Local Consult process and individual project meetings, until this spring, KDOT had not had a dedicated conversation with communities along the corridor about the project in more than 10 years.
In May, more than 350 people attended city council and county commission meetings where KDOT presented about the U.S. 69 Crawford County Corridor. The overwhelming majority of people KDOT heard from were opposed to the western alignment of the U.S. Crawford County Corridor. The most common reasons included:
- The cost of the project relative to its benefit to the community;
- The last study was completed in 2012, and there have been significant changes in development since that time;
- Impacts to homes; and
- The potential impact of a new bypass on towns and existing businesses in the area.
“We heard loud and clear the U.S. 69 corridor is a top priority for southeast Kansas,” said Greg Schieber, KDOT State Transportation Engineer. “We also heard things have changed since decisions were made more than a decade ago, and we need to step back and work with communities to find the right solution for the future of U.S. 69. Infrastructure improvements are expensive, and we want to invest in projects that not only improve the state highway system, but also align with the needs and visions of Kansas communities.”
Later this year, KDOT will start a new corridor study to re-evaluate the current highway and identify the current and future needs of the communities along U.S. 69 in Crawford County. The study will include an updated traffic and safety analysis to help determine viable options to improve the Crawford County Corridor.
To help inform the study, KDOT will establish a stakeholder group composed of representatives of the cities, county, and businesses along the corridor to hear a variety of perspectives on the priorities in the region. The study will include a robust public outreach effort and multiple opportunities for public input. It will take 12-18 months to complete the new study.
At this year’s Local Consult meetings in October, KDOT will not list a specific U.S. 69 Crawford County Corridor project for discussion. At the last two rounds of Local Consult, KDOT heard from southeast Kansans that improvements to U.S. 69 in Crawford County are a priority. KDOT is actively taking steps, like this new corridor study, to address that priority. The study needs to be done so that KDOT can have projects for consideration at the next round of Local Consult meetings in 2025.
As more information about the study schedule and opportunities for input are available, KDOT will post information online at: https://www.ksdot.gov/us69crawfordcountycorridor.asp.
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FSCC Business Expo August 16
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New U234 Teachers: Krone, Rivera, Davenport
This part of a series of features on 20 new teachers at Fort Scott School District 234.
School starts August 18.
Jane Krone, 54, is a new school counselor at Eugene Ware Elementary School.
She worked five years as a school counselor at an Emporia K-5 elementary school and three years as a para educator prior to that.
Krone also worked in child welfare for 20 years and had a private practice for a time.
“I worked in child welfare for two decades and, sadly, saw things that cannot be unseen,” she said. “I wanted to reach the children earlier, before they entered foster care to see if I could help them and their families with resources and skills.”
“I love, love, love working with students” Krone said. “I enjoy teaching coping and resiliency skills. I love to watch them learn and grow as individuals.”
Krone received a bachelor’s degree in psychology with a sociology minor in 1994, a master’s degree in counseling in 1997and a school counseling endorsement in 2018.
She is originally from Emporia and graduated high school from Hartford.
She is married and has two adult sons.
Outside of school, she enjoy remodeling her house and coloring.
Additionally, “I like creating things out of pallet wood,” she said.
Jacqui Rivera, 25, is a new second grade teacher at Winfield Scott Elementary School.
Rivera spent three years working in early childhood,the past two years as a first grade teacher.
“I can remember wanting to be a teacher since elementary school,” she said. “I loved getting to help others. I had several experiences throughout high school where I was able to… work with elementary students, I thought it was the best thing ever! I had several teachers throughout my schooling who inspired me, and I wanted to be a great educator just like them.”
“My students learn and grow so much throughout the year that I get to be their teacher,” she said. “The best part is watching them finally have that ‘ah ha’ moment when something that they struggled with clicks for them, like learning how to solve that tricky math problem, or read that difficult sentence.”
She received a bachelors of science in elementary education from Emporia State University.
She and her fiance, Zach, live in La Cygne with their two dogs, and two cats.
Gardner is her hometown.
“I come from a big family, I am the youngest of six,” she said. “I have four sisters and one brother…I have 13 nieces/nephews.”
“My hobbies include spending lots of time outside,” she said. “I love photography and spending time at the lake, we also do a lot of fishing! I enjoy reading and spending time with family and friends in my free time.”
Annyssa Davenport is a new special education teacher at Eugene Ware Elementary School.
She earned her bachelors degree in Human Development and Family Services from Kansas State University and a masters in Elementary Education Unified at Ottawa University.
“I started out as a para for our district, after I decided to go back and get my Masters, then I started subbing,” she said. “I was very thankful to get a job teaching kindergarten in December in Archie, MO after I completed student teaching.This is my first year as a special education teacher.”
Her favorite thing about teaching is ” watching kids succeed,” she said.
“I was born and raised in Fort Scott and have lived here for a majority of my life,” she said. “I’m engaged to Brandon West and we are expecting our first child this fall.”
The Bourbon County Sheriff’s Office Daily Reports August 9
Expanded Hours for Nevada Medical Clinic
