Bates County Museum Receives grants for a better web site

Freedom’s Frontier National Heritage Area and the Bates County Historical Society, Inc. are pleased to announce the Bates County Museum is the recipient of an Interpretive Grant in the amount of $5,000 for the design and implementation of a new website that provides a user friendly site to accommodate mobile phones and other devices along with standard computers.

The old website could not easily be viewed on a phone screen, making it difficult for anyone attempting to retrieve information about the Bates County Museum. The grant funding allowed the development of a user friendly website that can be maintained by Museum staff. The Museum is very pleased with the new site and expects to be adding even more pages, photos, and information in the coming weeks.

The Freedom’s Frontier Interpretive Grand program was started in 2012. Since then, more than 125 projects have been awarded grant funding, on both sides of the Missouri-Kansas border, in the 41 county region that comprises the heritage area. Grants range in amount from under $1,500 to $5,000. All awards over $1,500 require that the grant recipient show a local match of half the amount of the award. This match can be in the form of cash, or in-kind donations and staff and volunteer time. Chris Wimsatt, Family Researcher at the Bates County Museum, headed the website project and worked closely with a website developer to create the new site. Chris’ knowledge of technology allowed for the Museum’s in-kind contribution to consist of his many hours of work in entering photos and text information for the new site.

Freedom’s Frontier was established as a heritage area on October 12, 2006, when signed into law by President George W. Bush. There are 49 heritage areas in the U. S. and they are nonprofit affiliates of the National Park Service. The Bates County Museum has been an active Freedom’s Frontier Partner since 2006 and Museum Director, Peggy Buhr, serves on the Board of Trustees as the Missouri Partners Liaison and Kay Caskey, of Caskey Paralegal Services, is also a Trustee for Freedom’s Frontier.

The Bates County Museum is grateful to have been a recipient of an Interpretive Grant and is pleased to provide the public with easy and accessible information about the Museum. It is the hope of the Museum staff and Board of Directors that this new website will generate more web traffic which may then result in more visitors to the Museum, Butler, and to Bates County. The website address is:www.batescountymuseum.org. To learn more about Freedom’s Frontier National Heritage Area visit their website at:www.freedomsfrontier.org.

-our thanks to Peggy Buhr

Bates County Memorial Hospital completes new accreditation process

Butler, MO, July 15, 2019 — Bates County Memorial Hospital announces the successful completion of its new accreditation process from DNV GL - Healthcare.

By earning accreditation, BCMH has demonstrated it meets or exceeds patient safety standards (Conditions of Participation) set forth by the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

“The DNV GL program is consistent with our long-term commitment to quality and patient safety,” says Dr. John Bustle, Chief Executive Officer. “This partnership will help us continually get better at what we do. The ability to integrate ISO 9001 quality standards with our clinical and financial processes is a major step forward.”

Bates County Memorial Hospital has three years from the date of its accreditation to achieve compliance with ISO 9001, the world’s most trusted quality management system used by performance-driven organizations around the world to advance their quality and sustainability objectives.

“We have taken an entirely different approach to accreditation, and hospitals are really responding,” says DNV GL - Healthcare CEO Patrick Horine. “Since accreditation is a must-have credential for just about every hospital in this country, why not make it more valuable, and get more out of it? That’s where ISO 9001 comes into play, and turns the typical get-your-ticket-punched accreditation exercise into a quality transformation.”

DNV GL’s accreditation program, called NIAHO® (Integrated Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations), involves annual hospital surveys – instead of every three years – and encourages hospitals to openly share information across departments and to discover improvements in clinical workflows and safety protocols.

“I am very excited to see the positive changes we will make over the coming years,” said Dr. Bustle. “While we do a very good job already, we need to continue striving for excellence. There will always be room to improve what we do and how we do it.”

From the desk Bates County Coroner Greg Mullinax

I’m pleased to make a report of recent activities in the Coroner’s office. Part of the reason I have not made a report lately has to do with transitioning all records to our new software. This marks the first time the Coroner’s office has used an all-electronic system I am aware of. I am now able to upload data on-scene from my on-call vehicle and records are backed up off-site securely. The benefits of doing this have been many; but one thing the new system does is track statistics. I thought they would be of interest to you so I will share them by quarter.

I have also taken a great deal of education this Spring relating to new toxicology options. I have received training in drawing specimens which allow me to analyze glucose and electrolyte chemistry at the time of death. When needed, this helps to close the gaps on deaths I believe to be natural, but am uncertain of the specific cause.  I.e., a person who did not visit a doctor frequently, or at all - thus having no medical history or laboratory baseline for me to compare to. This is an inexpensive method to accurately be certain of the cause of death in these cases.  It has already saved a great deal of money by making an autopsy unnecessary in certain cases where previously that might have been the only method. I’m proud of this training and the accuracy & efficiency is has given me and, by extension, the public and families as they await answers.

2019 has also seen Bates County’s first homicide investigation in several years. I dedicated my full time and resources to a thorough investigation, which I was able to complete in priority fashion. That investigation is final and was promptly forwarded to the Prosecuting Attorney.

Now for the statistics:
In the first quarter of 2019 (Jan-Mar), I responded to 9 cases. This means I was notified of a death, traveled to the scene, and conducted an investigation to determine the cause and manner of death by: interview of witnesses, scene examination, physical examination, toxicology, and in some cases ordering an autopsy. Of those 9 cases that I responded to, External Examinations were performed on 44% (4 cases), Toxicology performed on 56% (5 cases), retained the decedent as unclaimed body in one case, and transported the decedent to my office for investigation on a total of 56% (5 cases). The Manner of Death was Natural on 89% (8 cases), and Accident on one case. Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) was the leading cause of Natural deaths at 22%. Tobacco use is believed to have contributed to death in 44% of these cases.

The second quarter of 2019 (Apr-Jun) was extremely busy: I responded to 20 cases. External Examinations performed in 30% of cases, complete autopsies performed in 25% of cases, Toxicolgy performed in 65%, 10% were organ/tissue donors, and decedents transported to my office for further investigation were 12 cases. Manner of Death was Natural in 50% of cases, Accident in 30%, Suicide in 1 case and Homicide in 1 case. Hypertensive Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease, Coronary Artery Disease and Congestive Heart Failure tied for leading causes of death among Natural deaths, and Tobacco use is believed to have contributed in 25% of cases. 

These numbers DO NOT include deaths reported to my office by hospitals, nursing homes, and hospice providers.

Even though the Coroner’s office is one of the lesser-seen offices of Bates County, it is still funded by your tax dollars and I believe in keeping you informed on how I spend my time and your money. You are always welcome to contact me 24 hours a day with any questions. In the meantime, please know that I am continually grateful for the chance to serve in this office, and I will always do so to the very best of my ability.

Greg D. Mullinax
Coroner of Bates County

Butler City Council Town Hall Meeting

Town Hall Meeting- Opportunity to share ideas, concerns, thoughts with your council members!

Get involved and be a part of helping revitalize our town, plan for the future, and see the vision for future generations.

The next meeting is planned for Monday, August 12, 2019 at 7 PM – 9 PM at the Butler High School Auditorium

https://www.facebook.com/events/696432644130926/

Have your cake and eat it too...

Get all local news with the hometown touch at www.batescountylive.com
or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/Bates-County-Live-546727599191958 and as always, get 7 county regional news right here on Mid America Live.

Enjoy your cake!

Two seriously injured in St. Clair County Crash

On 7/15/19 around 11:25pm the Missouri State Highway Patrol in St. Clair County responded to a one vehicle accident on Missouri 13 Highway at Lowry City.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol says the accident occurred when the 2005 Honda Element driven by 21 year old Selena J. McBreairty of Independence, Missouri traveled off the roadway, struck and ditch and overturned.

Selena J. McBreairty along with a passenger in her vehicle 30 year old Ronald Bicknell of Overland Park, Kansas both sustained serious injuries and both were transported to Mercy Hospital in Springfield, Missouri for treatment.

The vehicle was totaled and towed from the scene of the accident by Mike's Towing of Collins, Missouri.


Copyright Mid America Live News 

Obituary - Michael Wayne Bennett

Michael Bennett, passed away Saturday, July 13, 2019 at Truman Lake Manor, Lowry City, Missouri. 

Fond memories and condolences may be left online at www.vansant-millsfuneralhome.com. Graveside service and inurnment will be on Friday, July 19, 2019 at 10am at the Missouri Veterans Cemetery, Higginsville, Missouri. 

The family suggests memorial contributions to be made to Twin Lakes Hospice and may be left in care of the funeral home.

Michael "Mike" Wayne Bennett of Montrose, Missouri was born on January 30, 1950 the son of Leslie and Pearl (Matthews) Bennett. He departed this life on Saturday, July 13, 2019 at the Truman Lake Manor nursing home, Lowry City, Missouri at the age of 69 years, 6 months and 13 days.

Mike was united in marriage to Sarah Rowden on December 27, 1968. Later he was united in marriage to Theresa (Vogel) Evans on December 10, 1985 in Kansas City, Missouri.

Mike was a Staff Sergeant in the United States Army for over 20 years. He fought in the Vietnam War and received several medals of accommodation. Mike was a jack of all trades. He held positions in paint management, managing storage facilities, surgical tech and owner/operator of Diamond in the Ruff in Taberville, Missouri. He and Theresa loved to travel together. Mike was a true story teller, sometimes you never knew how large the story would grow. He loved his family greatly.

Besides his parent, he was preceded in death by his wife, Theresa Bennett on October 14, 2015; a sister, Linda Webb.

Mike is survived by 3 daughters, Sherry Kennedy and significant other Ryan of Montrose, Missouri; Wanda Dodson-Remer of Thailand; Kimberly Gose and husband Damien of Jefferson City, Missouri; a son Johnny Dodson and wife Jodi of Florida; 9 grandchildren and 2 great-grandsons; 2 sisters Connie Schroeder and Gwen Welch; other relatives and many friends.

Arrangements have been entrusted to Vansant-Mills Funeral Home, Clinton, Missouri.

One arrested after traffic stop in Clinton

Shawn Morlan

On 7-16-19 at 12:22 am, Corporal Derek Foreman observed a motorcycle fail to stop at the posted stop sign of Mill and Fourth Streets. 

Corporal Foreman conducted a traffic stop, contacting the operator of the motorcycle, Shawn Morlan. It was determined Morlan’s driving privileges were revoked.

A subsequent consent search of the motorcycle Morlan was operating located over $7000 in cash as well as a plastic bag of a crystal substance believed to be methamphetamine. 

Morlan was placed under arrest for Delivery of a Controlled Substance, Unlawful Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, Driving While Revoked/Suspended and Failure to Obey a Traffic Control Device.

Disclaimer: Arrest records are public information. Any indication of an arrest does not mean the individual identified has been convicted of a crime. All persons arrested are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.