News

Southwest Medical Center

Southwest Medical Center is excited to announce that Expanse Patient Connect has now officially gone live, bringing patients a new and improved way to receive communication from their healthcare team.

The features being launched will be text message appointment reminders for all scheduled appointments, two-way messaging, and multilingual support in up to 19 languages helping patients stay informed and prepared for their visits. These reminders will be sent directly to a patient’s phone — no app downloads or portal logins required.

ELLY GRIMM

   • Leader & Times

Severe storms hit Kansas near the beginning of June and Monday, a group of Kansas legislators supported efforts for a federal declaration of disaster.

Monday, Sen. Jerry Moran and colleagues Sen. Roger Marshall, M.D., U.S. Representatives Tracey Mann (KS-01), Derek Schmidt (KS-02), Sharice Davids (KS-03) and Ron Estes (KS-04) in urging President Donald Trump to make a disaster declaration for the State of Kansas following the severe wind storms, flooding and tornadoes that occurred from June 3 through June 7. Gov. Laura Kelly had formally submitted the request for federal support Aug. 6.

Kansas Department of Transportation

The Kansas Department of Transportation will begin a bridge repair project along U.S. Highway 56 in Haskell County this week over the Cimarron River northeast of the Haskell/Seward County line.

Traffic along U.S. 56 will be reduced to one lane to allow bridge repair work to take place. Motorists should expect minimal delays.

ROBERT PIERCE

   • Leader & Times

Seward County’s valuation, mill levies and levied taxes have remained stagnant for the last 20 years, and Administrator April Warden said with that sluggishness and a lack of growth on tax rolls, as well as higher costs and expenses, the county in recent years has had to dip into its reserves to keep from raising taxes on property owners.

However, Warden said reserves only last for so long, and eventually, county leaders will need to find other ways to balance the budget including alternative revenue streams and making cuts.