TOPEKA – The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) and Acting Secretary Janet Stanek today announced Joan Duwve, M.D., MPH, as the new Acting State Health Officer. Duwve previously served as the Deputy State Health Officer.
“Joan has served Kansans since 2020, providing valuable input on the COVID-19 response,” Janet Stanek, Acting Secretary, said. “Her time at KDHE coupled with her extensive history as a physician and public health official makes her the best choice for this role.
Duwve joined KDHE in Nov. 2020 to lead the COVID-19 Unified Testing Strategy before moving into the Deputy State Health Officer position in July 2021. Prior to her roles at KDHE, Duwve spent 12 years in various public health leadership roles in South Carolina and Indiana. While at the South Carolina Department of Health and Environment Control, Duwve worked to elevate the health equity program and hire a director of diversity, equity and inclusion. She also spent 11 years practicing as a family medicine physician.
“I’m grateful to Secretary Stanek for selecting me for this role within KDHE,” Joan Duwve, M.D., said. “The importance of public health has become increasingly evident over the past couple of years as we have responded to the COVID-19 pandemic. I’m looking forward to working alongside state and local public health officials and stakeholders as we continue to work together to protect and improve the health of all Kansans.”
Duwve completed her medical degree at Johns Hopkins University. She also holds a Master of Public Health from the University of Michigan and Bachelor of Arts degree in International Studies from the Ohio State University. She has served on the CDC National Center for Injury Prevention and Control Board of Scientific Counselors, a National Academy of Science, Engineering and Medicine Evaluation Committee and the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials Board of Directors and Infectious Diseases Policy Committee.
Richard Eugene “Rick” Petrechko, age 67, a resident of Ft. Scott, Kansas, passed away early Monday, January 24, 2002, at the Kansas City Hospice House after injuries he received in an accident at his home in November of last year.
He was born October 29, 1954, in Independence, Missouri, the son of Richard Petrechko and Berniece Pitts Petrechko. Rick was raised by his mother and step-father, John Buell. Rick graduated from Truman High School in Independence, Missouri. He was currently employed by Extrusions, Inc. in Ft. Scott.
Rick enjoyed fishing and barbecuing. He also enjoyed reading historical books and listening to music. He was an avid fan of the Rolling Stones and enjoyed going to many different concerts over the years.
Survivors include his children, Jessica Lynn Collins of New Jersey, Bradley Petrechko (Rosalina) of Ft. Scott, Rex Petrechko (Erin) of Florida and step-children, E. J. Willard of Nebraska and Vanessa Willard of Ft. Scott and eleven grandchildren. Also surviving are his mother, Berniece Buell of Ft. Scott and two sisters, Paula Hochstedler (Mike) of Lee’s Summit, Missouri and Karen Mix (Mike) of Ft. Scott.
He was preceded in death by his step-father, John Buell, step-brother, Steve Buell and longtime companion and best friend, Lynette Vann.
Funeral services will be held at 11:00 A.M. Thursday, January 27th at the Cheney Witt Chapel.
Burial will follow in the Evergreen Cemetery.
Memorials are suggested to the Mirza Transportation Fund or the Paws & Claws Animal Shelter and may be left in care of the Cheney Witt Chapel, 201 S. Main, P.O. Box 347, Ft. Scott, KS.
Words of remembrance may be submitted to the online guestbook at cheneywitt.com.
Carol Oakleaf, left, and Lori Lovelace show the donation can for clothing to the Fort Scott Community Closet which is located in the Fort Scott Washateria in this 2019 photo.
Carol Oakleaf and Lori Lovelace, owners of Fort Scott Washateria, 501 S. National Avenue, started the Fort Scott Community Closet when they opened the laundromat in September 2019.
Recently they have been revamping their clothes-give-away operations to be more accessible to the people of Fort Scott.
“After Saturday, Jan 29th, we will be open to the public from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Friday,” Lovelace said. “Those interested in finding clothing or household linens and bedding can sign in at the laundromat front desk and will be able to go into the closet and pick out needed items.”
“We will have bags at the front desk to put items in after sign out,” she said. “As always, our items are donated by the people of Fort Scott and are available to all in need.”
“We will be open on Saturday, Jan 29th as we are finishing up the retooling and welcome all who wish to come by,” Lovelace said. “We have a good selection of coats and cold weather items as well as clothing and bedding.”
“Thank you to all of the people who have donated,” Lovelace said.
“We started the Community Closet when we opened the Washateria in September 2019 because there was limited availability for obtaining donated clothing for folks since Beacon( a local helping agency) had ceased taking clothing donations,” she said. “We thought that a laundromat was a logical place, as we wash the clothes and we have a large outreach within the community.”
Fort Scott Washateria, 501 S. National Avenue. 2019
The clothes and bedding are free to those in need.
Then In March 2020, the COVID-19 Pandemic hit.
“While the laundromat has remained open as an essential service, we limited access to the closet, taking requests over the phone and gathering clothes for people to pick up at the laundromat,” she said.
“We are ready to move out of the COVID restrictions and the number of calls has increased, making it difficult to keep up,” Lovelace said. “So, we have redesigned the closet for folks to be able to come to the laundromat, sign in and go to the closet to gather clothing and household linens as needed during the closet open hours.”
She said they have had a large number of items donated and are trying out the self-service idea.
“The kick-off is Saturday, Jan 29th and we will see how it works,” she said. “Our mission has always been to be a middleman for a flow of items from folks willing to donate to folks in need and we have been learning how the best way to efficiently do that over the past two years.”
Fort Scott Washateria Services
“Fort Scott Washateria continues to provide a clean place for people to do their laundry and we have been doing a lot of laundry in our Wash/Dry/Fold Service,” she said. “We still have free pick and delivery for the WDF service including hotels and campgrounds in the area and we provide commercial laundry service to local businesses.”
Oakleaf and Lovelace give a tour of the Washateria prior to opening in Sept. 2019.
“We have some new promotions and services set up for this year, stay tuned for more information on those,” Lovelace said.
The laundromat is open seven days a week, Monday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and on Sunday from noon to 8 p.m.
“We also starch and press, steam, and do some limited alterations,” she said.
Rules for the Community Closet
“The rules for the closet are, for folks looking for items, to sign in at the front desk and when they are done looking to come back in for a sack and to sign out,” Lovelace said. “We ask for respect in going through the items, returning them to their tubs and shelves so the next folks can easily find what they need.”
To Donate
For people interested in donating, they accept clothing, bedding, and coats.
“We can’t handle shoes or items other than the clothing due to space limitations,” she said. “You just have to bring your items to the front desk in bags, boxes or loose, we will take care of them from there. We take donations during all hours the laundromat is open.”
Front row: Naomi Kim, Hampton Sayers. 2nd row: Amanda Emmerson, Jenny Heckman, Alaenah Michaud, Alyssa Smith, Ashley Smith Back row: Dryden Cosens, Luke Goldston, Neil Gugnani, Trent Peck, Eli Williams. Submitted photo.
The Fort Scott High School Homecoming King and Queen will be announced Friday night between the Lady Tiger Varsity and Boys Varsity games.
Saturday night is Winter Formal!
The dance will be held at the high school auxiliary gym, from 7:30 until 10:30 p.m. Saturday.
Mitch Barker will be taking pictures.
Submitted by Bert Lewis, Fort Scott High School Student Council Sponsor, Senior & Junior Class Sponsor, Key Club Sponsor, Ed Rising Sponsor, and Scholars’ Bowl Coach
Although I’ve not had the benefit of blood sisters, I’ve been blessed through the years with several fun-loving gals to make my life a rip-roaring joy. Two of them stood up with me at my wedding and I can refer to them as “partners in crime.” During the 55-mph speed-limit law in the 1970s, Jennifer and I were playing our kazoos on the way home from Tulsa and having a grand old time. She happened to glance at her speedometer and discovered she was running 80 mph. Oops! And ever since third grade, when Mrs. Oldham gave Jonita and I our well-deserved nicknames as “Giggle Boxes,“ we‘ve been laughing together for over 50 years.
Here’s the definition of partner: (1) either of two persons dancing together, (2) one who joins in an activity with another, (3) a player on the same team, (4) an ally. The Bible clearly states that believers have an unseen but very-real partner. “But when the Father sends the Advocate as My representative — that is, the Holy Spirit — He will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you” (John 14:26 NLT). It’s comforting to know that the Holy Spirit is our helper, teacher, and reminder. We’re never alone or without direction.
He’s an around-the-clock continuous partner in the lives of all Christ followers. “Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?” (1 Corinthians 6:19 NKJV). The Holy Spirit comes from God as the wonderful gift promised to every believer.
Jesus said, “I also tell you this: If two of you agree here on earth concerning anything you ask, My Father in heaven will do it for you” (Matthew 18:19 NLT). It’s good to have a flesh-and-blood partner to agree with you in prayer, but if your request is so deeply personal that you can’t share it, rest assured that the Holy Spirit will serve as your “two.” He is the third person of the Godhead and He intercedes for you.
When we are a partner with someone, both parties have specific responsibilities. Agreeing and working together is of utmost importance for success. “Can two people walk together without agreeing on the direction?” (Amos 3:3 NLT). If you’re part of a band, you have to play the same song as the other musicians. If your dance partner is doing the Twist while you’re Square Dancing, your team is absolutely not going to win the competition! The Word of God instructs us on how to live godly lives; we agree with God and then the Holy Spirit helps us stay on track. This is a sure-fire partnership any way you slice it.
However, should we mess up, we don’t give up! We can repent, ask for forgiveness, and start dancing with our Partner again. You’re never too old, too young, or too dumb to make a difference in the Kingdom of God. And don’t live in the past, stewing about what happened or didn’t happen. God’s a big-enough Partner to obliterate your baggage — but you have to be willing to hit the delete button. You can be restored to the authentic person God created you to be. Believers get a fresh new start every morning according to Lamentations 3:23. And that’s a splendid way to begin the new year.
The Key: You can happily promenade through life with the Holy Spirit as your Partner.
Gregg Motley. President of the Regional Economic Development, Inc. Submitted photo.
I mentioned in last week’s column that the list of local men and women who have made a heroic commitment of time, talent and treasure in Fort Scott could go on, and this week it will. This list, combined with the first, will certainly not be exhaustive, but here are some more recent investments by Bourbon County residents that have made us a better place to live and work:
State Farm Insurance/law firm. This significant investment at the intersection of South National and South Main dramatically improved a building that is highly visible by people traveling through Bourbon County on 69 Highway.
Bourbon County Cars. Another building at that same intersection was recently repurposed by local families, and has become a thriving business that creates significant tax revenue for Bourbon County.
Crooners/Liberty Theatre. An important Fort Scott historical district building was renovated and put to great use. Great restaurant and nice event venue.
Bartelsmeyer Jewelry. This family purchased a building on North Main near the National Historic Site and created a great place for locals and tourists to shop. Additionally, as was intended by these structures when built, they live above their store.
Edward Jones/Armstrong. This strip center on South National houses some popular tenants, and represents a significant financial risk to the local residents who took it on a few years ago.
Sunshine Boutique. This family business at Wall Street and Main Street has been popular for a long time, and they recently expanded their investment at that location, adding to their store, along with space for another tenant.
Smallville. This couple bought the lumber yard on 19th Street and expanded the fitness options for locals, assuming a significant financial and construction risk. They put in much sweat equity (pun intended) as well.
What kind of investments in Bourbon County are good opportunities going forward? Besides pursuing your own business passion, rental housing represents a high need with relatively low risk. We have a dearth of good quality rental homes in Bourbon County, and demand is strong. Rent usually covers all monthly costs with a reasonable return on investment. We need local heroines and heroes to step up on housing; not as slumlords, but as men and women who understand that they have a responsibility to our community as well. Investors must turn a profit, but we have to think beyond ourselves as well if rural communities are to survive and thrive.
I am so glad I live and work in a community where so many people think beyond raw profit and want to make local investments that will create a legacy. Bourbon County REDI is committed to uncovering and supporting future local heroines and heroes.
