The Department of Social Work at Fort Hays State University will begin a new Bachelor of Social Work cohort at Dodge City Community College in the fall.
The cohort program provides an opportunity for students to complete a Bachelor of Social Work degree without leaving their homes or jobs after earning an associate’s degree at DCCC.
“This provides an option for western Kansans to earn an FHSU Bachelor of Social Work degree, fully accredited by the Council of Social Work Education, in their local communities,” said Dr. Tim Davis, chair of the department.
Classes, evening at the community college and online, are completed over a three-year period. Students take courses from both core faculty members at FHSU and local professional social workers serving as adjuncts. A full-time cohort coordinator is hired to provide for student recruitment, advisement, and to coordinate the ongoing needs of an offsite location.
Students in a cohort start and go through the three-year cycle together. FHSU commits to provide all three years of cohort education on site so that students who start can also finish in the same location.
FHSU’s Department of Social Work offers the development of skills and knowledge that enables individuals to help others. The department offers significant resources for students including various student organizations and research support. Hands-on experiences through service and internship opportunities are also available.
For more information about the program or to apply, contact Tim Davis, chair of the Social Work Department, at [email protected].
Randy ClinkscalesLast fall, I was driving home after two days of client meetings in Wichita. The combination of those meetings, not sleeping in my own bed for two nights, living out of a suitcase, and the prospect of almost three hours on the road left me feeling exhausted.
I turned on the radio and an old Beatles song came on, “When I’m Sixty-Four”. Perhaps for the first time in my life, I felt I was 64 years old and I understood the song. Some of the lyrics of the song are:
When I get older, losing my hair
Many years from now…
I could be handy, mending a fuse
When your lights have gone…
Will you still need, will you still feed me
When I’m sixty-four?
On a professional basis, I work with older clients that face a similar question. Do they still have purpose, do they still have worth, as they grow older? It can become particularly pronounced in a situation where someone has been a caregiver for a spouse, and then the spouse passes away. They feel like they are purposeless.
I am sure you have seen it as well. Some people retire and seem to slide into oblivion. They seem to have no purpose; they seem to have no goals.
But then you see other people; those who seem to spring to life after retirement.
Similarly, I see those who have lost a spouse and die shortly after. On the other side of the spectrum, I see those who carry on. Though they do not forget their deceased spouse, they carry on with a new life. I suspect they know that is what their spouse would want.
If you have not read the book “Being Mortal”, I would strongly recommend it to you. In it, the author discusses that we all need purpose, regardless of age. One of his criticisms of putting someone into long term care is that many times we take away their purpose. Maybe that purpose was to check on the crops; it could have been taking care of their spouse; it could have been their job. But they had a purpose, and now it is gone.
There are ways around that. As the author points out in “Being Mortal”, giving a person in a nursing home a job to do creates purpose. Researchers have shown that even a job of feeding a bird daily provides purpose.
I write this article as I have zoomed past 64 and am looking at the prospects of turning 65 in just a handful of days. I am thankful that I still have purpose in my life, whether that be my work, being a spouse, being a parent, or being a grandparent. It all gives me purpose.
I do not want to overstate this though: turning 65 has caused a lot of retrospective thoughts. More on that later.
Regardless of your age, create purpose. You have to create the purpose. You have to find the purpose. Whether you are turning 65 or 95, you can always have purpose. Purpose is what keeps you going; purpose is what makes the day worth living.
Randy Clinkscales of Clinkscales Elder Law Practice, PA, Hays, Kansas, is an elder care attorney, practicing in western Kansas. To contact him, please send an email to [email protected]. Disclaimer: The information in the column is for general information purposes and does not constitute legal advice. Each case is different and outcomes depend on the fact of each case and the then applicable law. For specific questions, you should contact a qualified attorney.
Both FULL and PART TIME positions open for Class A & B drivers
Good work environment, flexible schedule, competitive wages, health insurance offered and home every night. Must be able to pass drug screen and have valid medical card. If you are still interested but do not have a Class A or B and are willing to learn, we will train you and prepare you for the test.
In Hays, call Todd at 785-639-3335. In Great Bend and Russell, call Kyle at 620-792-2558. In Hutchinson and Lyons, call Marc @ 620-921-1732.
Alicia BoorThe Great Bend Farm and Ranch Expo is coming out to the Expo grounds April 10th-12th. The 3-day event will have programs, vendors, and a chance to meet up and see what’s new in farming and ranching.
Together, with K-State Research and Extension, we will be giving informative lunch time programs, so come out, grab a good lunch, and listen to the various specialists discuss what is new in their fields of study.
On Wednesday, April 10th from 10:30 to noon, join KSRE along with the Great Bend Coop at the Research Plot tour. The plot is located north of the Expo grounds at Barton County Road and 50 AVE. Romulo Lollato, K-State Research and Extension’s Wheat and Forage Specialist will be present to discuss his 5 research projects that includes around 500 plots. He will discuss his current research on site that includes: different wheat varieties and how they respond to different management practices, growth regulators, seed treatments, seeding rates, and others. He will also be available to answer any questions that producers have about the 2019 wheat crop.
April 11th at noon will be a Farm Bill update by Monte Vandeveer, Southwest Area Extenstion Agricultural Economist for Kansas Farm Management. Monte grew up on a farm in south‐central Kansas with wheat and cow-calf enterprises. He received B.S. and M.S. degrees in agricultural economics from Kansas State University and a Ph.D. in ag economics from Purdue University. His program will highlight PLC and ARC programs and what you will need to know with the new Farm Bill.
On April 12th at noon, Mary Knapp will be at Expo 3 to talk about the K-State Mesonet, weather patterns, and forecasting the upcoming growing season. As part of the Weather Data Library and as service climatologist, Mary Knapp occupies a unique position in the Department of Agronomy. She is responsible for answering questions on climate and weather matters. She also maintains the web site that provides a constant update and complete archive of weather-related data for Kansas. Her program will cover an update on current conditions, and outlooks for the summer. She will also address the why, and the uncertainty associated with the outlooks.
Whatever your interests are when it comes to farming, there is a subject and specialist that can help you with information. Our specialists are happy to come out and share the latest information and research to help you be able to succeed at your farm. Join us during the lunch hour at the Great Bend Farm and Ranch show April 10th through the 12th for all of K-State Research and Extension’s programming.
Alicia Boor is an Agriculture and Natural Resources agent in the Cottonwood District (which includes Barton and Ellis counties) for K-State Research and Extension. You can contact her by e-mail at [email protected] or calling 620-793-1910.
GREENVILLE, S.C. (AP) – Markis McDuffie had 20 points as Wichita State topped Furman 76-70 in the first round of the NIT on Wednesday night.
Jaime Echenique had 16 points and 10 rebounds for Wichita State (20-14). Erik Stevenson added 12 points and six rebounds. Asbjorn Midtgaard had 10 rebounds for the visitors.
Matt Rafferty had 27 points, eight rebounds, five assists and five steals for the Paladins (25-8). Jordan Lyons added 19 points. Clay Mounce had 10 points.
HASKELL COUNTY —One person died in an accident just before 7p.m. Wednesday in Haskell County.
The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2012 Harley Davidson motorcycle driven by Richard Hidalgo, 71, Plains, was westbound on U.S. 56 behind a 2015 Chevy Silverado driven by John Giesbrecht-Fehr, 34, Ulysses. The motorcycle ran into the side of the pickup’s trailer as the Chevy slowed down and turned North on to County road OO.
Hidalgo was transported to Santanta District Hospital where he died. Giesbrecht-Fehr was not injured. Hidalgo was not wearing a helmet, according to the KHP.
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — State officials say the flooding that swept Nebraska has caused nearly $1.4 billion in estimated losses and damage.
Gov. Pete Ricketts said Wednesday that roads, levies and other infrastructure have sustained an estimated $449 million in damage. Damage to private homes and businesses has reached $85 million so far, and farmers have experienced $400 million in cattle losses and $440 million in crop losses.
HWY 34 bridge in Plattsmouth. The impacts to transportation in Eastern Nebraska will require a great deal of patience. Thankfully Nebraskans are known for this quality! pic.twitter.com/VoSb9bsbIJ
Ricketts says an estimated 2,067 homes and 341 businesses have been damaged or destroyed in the flood.
Ricketts stressed that the numbers are preliminary and subject to change. The numbers were included in the governor’s request for expedited assistance from the federal government.
We understand how important your pets are.
So when troopers come to the rescue, the pets gets rescued too.
(Not pictured: a massive dog who got to ride in the NSP helicopter!)
Thursday Sunny, with a high near 63. North wind around 6 mph becoming west southwest in the afternoon.
Thursday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 38. South wind around 6 mph.
FridayA 30 percent chance of showers after 2pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 64. Light south southeast wind becoming southeast 6 to 11 mph in the morning.
Friday NightShowers, mainly after 8pm. Low around 45. Southeast wind 13 to 15 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New precipitation amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.
SaturdayShowers, mainly before 8am. High near 58. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New precipitation amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible.
Saturday NightA 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before 2am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 43.
SundayA 20 percent chance of showers after 2pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 62.
KANSAS CITY (AP) — A 3-year-old boy is dead after breaking away from his father’s hand in downtown Kansas City, Missouri, running into traffic and being struck by a gas company truck.
First responders on the scene of the fatal accident photo courtesy KCTV
The accident happened around 1:30 p.m. Wednesday. The boy was in critical condition when officers arrived, but died at a hospital. His name has not been released.
A preliminary investigation showed that the child and his father came out of a store on 11th Street when the child “broke away from his father’s hand” and ran between two parked vehicles into the street.
He was struck by a truck belonging to Spire, a company based in St. Louis.
Police say the truck driver stayed at the scene and cooperated with police.
KANSAS CITY – Kevin Ault, M.D., professor and division director in the University of Kansas Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, has been appointed to the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) by Health and Human Services Secretary Alex M. Azar II. This federal committee is part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and formulates vaccine policy for the United States. Dr. Ault will serve a four-year term.
Previously, Dr. Ault had been the liaison member from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists to the ACIP. He is the second ob-gyn physician to be appointed to this committee in the past 50 years.
LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — The murder trial of a Lawrence man who has been in custody for more than four years will be delayed to give attorneys time to assess new evidence from the victim’s recently unlocked phone, a judge has ruled.
Rontarus Washington, Jr. after his arrest four years ago in Mississippi-photo courtesy Washington Co.
Rontarus Washington Jr., 22, was set to go on trial Monday for first-degree murder and aggravated burglary charges in the November 2014 slaying of 19-year-old Justina Altamirano Mosso. But Judge James McCabria this week pushed the trial back until September.
Washington has been held at the Douglas County Jail since March 2015. McCabria said he understood the delay was frustrating, but that he felt it was necessary to give time for attorneys to sift through the data from Mosso’s phone.
“It’s kind of a critical piece of evidence,” said prosecutor C.J. Rieg. “That’s why I’ve been trying to get it open for the past four years.”
Mosso was found stabbed and bludgeoned inside the Lawrence apartment of her estranged husband, Felipe Cantu Ruiz. Ruiz had testified that he moved out of town with a friend on Nov. 7 and had left her the keys.
Washington lived in an apartment on the same floor as Ruiz. Washington had told detectives he entered Ruiz’s apartment that night to steal money and found a dead woman in the bathroom.
Lawrence police said they found Mosso’s phone several weeks after the slaying on the roof of the apartment complex, wrapped in mismatched socks whose corresponding pairs were found in Washington’s apartment.
Rieg said she learned that the Heart of America Regional Computer Forensics Laboratory in Clay County, Missouri, had the software capabilities to open Mosso’s phone in February. McCabria ordered the FBI electronics lab to unlock the phone, and attorneys received the data earlier this month.
Washington’s attorney, Angela Keck, said it would be foolish to go to trial without looking through the phone data for evidence that could help the defendant.
Washington and attorneys will meet with the judge next week to set a new trial date, which is tentatively scheduled for mid-September.
96-year-old Dorwin Lamkin of Overland Park, Kansas, died March 17. A cause of death was not disclosed.
Born in Wisconsin, Lamkin joined the Navy in 1940. He was a corpsman on the USS Nevada when the Japanese attacked at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii on Dec. 7, 1941.
Lamkin later served at several battles while on the USS San Francisco in 1943 and 1944. He was awarded several medals and citations.
He was the longtime president of a chapter of the Pearl Harbor Survivors Association and helped lead the drive to create the Pearl Harbor Memorial Park in Mission, Kansas.
TOPEKA, KAN. – A Kansas man pleaded guilty Tuesday to a federal charge that he drove to Missouri to meet what he believed was a mother who was willing to sell her 10-year-old daughter for sex, according to U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister.
Michael David Mitchell, 64, Ottawa, Kan., pleaded guilty to one count of interstate travel to engage in unlawful sexual conduct. The investigation began when investigators received information that Mitchell was looking for a woman with a minor child who he could make his sex slaves.
Mitchell communicated with an undercover investigator posing as a broker who could find Mitchell what he wanted. In his plea, Mitchell admitted that in June 2017 he drove from Ottawa, Kan., to Independence, Mo., to meet a woman he had been told was willing to make the deal. He brought money with him to pay a $5,000 finder’s fee.
Sentencing is set for April 24. He faces up to 30 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000.
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