ROBERT PIERCE

   • Leader & Times

When childhood trauma comes to mind, many people think of its physical aspects, but a large part of trauma also stems from emotional and mental abuse from abuse or neglect.

Southwest Medical Center Trauma Program Coordinator Katie Coleman said when addressing trauma, officials look particularly at possible domestic or school violence, bullying and parents who are separated.

“All those affect the children,” she said. “That’s considered childhood trauma. Loss of a loved one, whether it’s sudden or a traumatic loss, is considered a childhood trauma. We’re looking at the different aspects. Rather than physical, we’re looking at mental and emotional.”

ELLY GRIMM

   • Leader & Times

Child care has always been a major hot topic and recently, some action taken at the state level is meant to help with that.

Monday, Gov. Laura Kelly announced the signing of Senate Bill 82, which expands access to tax credits for employer expenses for child care and contributions to third parties that expand the availability of community child care. The bill also creates income tax credits for the sale of higher-ethanol blends of fuels and the purchase of lockable gun and ammunition storage, according to a release from the State of Kansas.

ROBERT PIERCE

   • Leader & Times

With ever-increasing grocery prices a seemingly constant reality, consumers are always looking for ways to cut their food bill, and one of those means is through farmers markets.

A program matching dollars from the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) at farmers markets, farm stands, mobile markets and grocery stores in Kansas and Missouri helps to reduce those costs even further.

In 2020, at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Mid-America Regional Council (MARC) and the Double Up Heartland Collaborative received a grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s NIFA Gus Schumacher Nutrition Incentive Program (GusNIP).

ROBERT PIERCE

   • Leader & Times

Two of the citizen comments heard at last Monday’s Seward County Commission meeting concerned the county’s Rural Fire District.

The first heard firefighter Morgan West advocating for Interim Fire Chief Braden Steckel to become the permanent head of the department with applications for the position closing last Friday.

“For the last several months, we as a department have had to go day to day not knowing what the future of our department is,” West said. “Due to the state of not knowing or having clear answers, we’ve had to put several things on hold. As a department, we have rallied together and supported the county.”