News

Locals donate glasses, Fieser helps fulfill an INTERNATIONAL VISION

ELLY GRIMM

• Leader & Times

Eye care is important in all parts of the world and recently, local optometrist Dr. Liz Fieser from Prairie Vista & Optical took part in a mission trip to help with just that to Roatán, Honduras.

“We had more than 200 used pairs of glasses donated from our patients, and these glasses were given a second life with citizens of Roatán. The organization that headed everything up was SVOSH, which stands for Student Volunteer Optometric Services to Humanity, and the optometry school in charge of that group is Northeastern State University Oklahoma College of Optometry (NSUOCO) in Tahlequah, Okla., which is actually where I went to school along with Dr. [Ryan] Farrar,” Fieser said. “The group has actually been doing these mission trips for about 14 years, and the only break they took was in 2020 and 2021 because of the pandemic. How I got involved was, there were three doctors who were scheduled to be part of the group but ultimately had to back out of the trip, so the organizer at the college put a post on Facebook about looking for volunteer doctors, and I jumped on it. I also got to take my boys, James and Josiah, which was amazing. I've always wanted to do a mission trip like this, but the opportunity/timing just never came up until now. I remember when I interviewed with Dr. Farrar, I told him a goal of mine was to do a mission trip like this. And the optometry school also brought several pairs too, almost 700, and they were all really great brands.”

CDC data shows improvements in youth mental health but need for safer and more supportive schools

ELLY GRIMM

• Leader & Times

The school year has officially begun, and a main point of focus for many districts will be the mental health of their young charges.

Recently, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) shared some updates regarding those efforts throughout the U.S., saying data released earlier this month highlight improvements in mental health among some U.S. teens, including decreases in the percentage of students feeling persistently sad or hopeless. However, the report also highlights concerning increases in the percentage of teens reporting experiences of school-based violence and absenteeism due to safety concerns, according to a release from the CDC.

Administrator explains notice to exceed RNR

ROBERT PIERCE

• Leader & Times

After letters were sent out to many Seward County taxpayers stating this year’s county budget could contain a mill levy increase of as much as 20 mills, county officials have received some criticism regarding that possibility.

Administrator April Warden explained that mill levy was based on a worst case scenario, as intent to exceed the Revenue Neutral Rate had to be given to Seward County Clerk Stacia Long by mid-July, which was the time commissioners hosted the annual budget work session to hear from department heads and outside entities regarding their budgets.

Southwest Community Fiesta coming Sept. 14-15

ELLY GRIMM

• Leader & Times

September is rapidly approaching, and one of the many holidays commemorated in during the month is Hispanic Heritage Month, which Liberal will be looking to kick off with a bang.

The 2024 Southwest Community Fiesta will be taking place the weekend of Sept. 15. Everything will begin Saturday, Sept. 14 with the Little Southwest Fiesta Queens and the Southwest Fiesta Queen pageants, which will start at 7 p.m. and be at the Seward County Activity Center at 810 Stadium Ave. Sunday, Sept. 15 will be the big fiesta day, and it will all start with the parade at 2:30 p.m., and that will follow the same route of the other parades – the parade will start at 11th Street and Kansas Avenue (with lineup starting at 2 p.m. at Light Park) and end at Kansas Avenue and Trail Street. Then, the festival itself will be from 4 to 8 p.m. at the Seward County Activity Center.

Vaccines for Children celebrates 30 years of helping keep children healthy

ELLY GRIMM

• Leader & Times

Vaccines are an important part of everyone’s childhood, and recently, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) celebrated a major milestone with just that.

“When the Vaccines for Children (VFC) legislation was passed 30 years ago, it was a historic step in improving children's lives by providing recommended vaccines at no cost to eligible children,” a release from the CDC noted. “Routine vaccinations are the best defense against illnesses. The VFC program was established to ensure that children below the federal poverty level and those without health insurance have access to critical, lifesaving vaccines that can protect their health throughout their lives.”