Lisa Schlegel, Ellis County Treasurer, attended the annual meeting of the National Association of County Collectors, Treasurers and Finance Officers (NACCTFO) in Nashville, Tennessee, July 11-12, completing professional coursework in public policy administration.

The conference included education courses in policy and management offered by the Public Policy Administration program at the University of Missouri-St. Louis (UMSL) as part of the university’s Chancellor’s Certificate program and in partnersnip with NACCTFO.

“Our Chancellor’s Certificate program allows NACCTFO members to learn about cutting-edge practices and to share their experiences,” said Dan Sise, interim director of the Public Policy Administration program at UMSL. “Members come away from these sessions with valuable ideas to implement in their own offices.”

The education program included sessions on adaptive leadership, future technologies and trends, and disaster preparedness.

“Schlegel’s participation in these sessions demonstrates her commitment to carely manage scare county resources,” Sise said.

– SUBMITTED –

Today
Showers, mainly before noon, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms after noon. High near 77. Light and variable wind becoming north northwest 8 to 13 mph in the morning. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New rainfall amounts between three quarters and one inch possible.

Tonight
A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly before 1am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 61. North northwest wind 10 to 17 mph.

Monday
Mostly cloudy, then gradually becoming sunny, with a high near 77. Breezy, with a north northwest wind 17 to 21 mph, with gusts as high as 31 mph.

Monday Night
Mostly clear, with a low around 57. North wind 6 to 14 mph.

Tuesday
Sunny, with a high near 79. North northwest wind around 8 mph becoming northeast in the afternoon.

Tuesday Night
Showers and thunderstorms likely, mainly after 1am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 60. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.

Wednesday
A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before 1pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 77.

Wednesday Night
A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 62.

Thursday
Partly sunny, with a high near 86.

The Rooks County Sheriff’s Office is requesting the public’s assistance in a hit-and-run investigation that occurred in the Rooks County Fairgrounds parking lot Friday night.

The vehicle was parked where the (X) indicates on the map in the pictures below. The vehicle was parked in the parking lot from the hours of 10 p.m. to 11:35 p.m. on Friday, when the pictured vehicle was struck. The striking vehicle left the scene of the accident without reporting the accident.

If you know anything about this accident, contact the Rooks County Sheriff’s Office at (785) 425-6312 and ask to speak to a Sheriff’s Deputy.

— Rooks County Sheriff’s Office

FHSU University Relations and Marketing

Dr. Patricia Levy, a Fort Hays State University professor of social work, recently presented at the 10th EDULEARN18, an international conference on education and new learning technologies in Palma de Majorca, Spain.

“An Online Pedagogical Model Teaching Mass Trauma Interventions to Homeland Security Responders” was created jointly with Dr. Rudolph Bustos, chair of the Department of Homeland Security at Trident University, Cypress, Calif.

“The presentation examined an instructional online format covering intervention with first responders and others who have experienced mass trauma from the point of initial contact through continuing follow-up by multidisciplinary counseling resources,” said Levy.

“It also included attention to those responders who suffer secondary effects such as difficulties to continue working in emergency services,” she said.

The online format includes simulations similar to the 2014 Boston marathon bombing, logistics, hospital surge capacities, triaging and long-term support. A discussion of readings, assignments, case studies and interactive group methodologies were examined.

“This online approach facilitates the delivery of educational content of mass trauma and furthers the pedagogy trauma intervention for the student and service providers involved in homeland security,” said Levy.

“In addition, the presentation demonstrated a pedagogical framework for the delivery of online educational content to aid in effective training and preparation of homeland security first responders to face critical incidents requiring mass trauma intervention.”