OSAGE CITY, Kan. – Local Masons will host free cancer screenings Saturday, April 28, at the Osage County Senior Center, 604 Market St., Osage City, Kan. Held from 9 a.m.-12 p.m., the event is open to the public and is one of 20 free cancer prevention events the Kansas Masonic Foundation is sponsoring across the state in 2018.

KMF conducts the screenings in partnership with the Midwest Cancer Alliance, the outreach division of The University of Kansas Cancer Center, and KU Medical Center staff. According to Brooke Groneman, the outreach director for MCA, nearly 8,000 Kansas residents have attended the Masonic screenings over the past decade.

The event in Osage City is being coordinated by Masonic volunteers from Lodge No. 22 and will include free skin and prostate screenings, colon cancer home screening kits, Body Mass Index assessments and breath tests that measure lung exposure to carbon monoxide. In addition, Osage City dentist, Dr. Robert Harmon, will provide free oral cancer screenings.

According to the American Academy of Dermatology, approximately 9,500 Americans are diagnosed with some form of skin cancer every day and nearly 250 of those are diagnosed with melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer. The Centers for Disease Control reports that in Kansas cancer is currently the second leading cause of death and the region has higher than average rates of skin cancer, compared to other parts of the U.S.

“When it comes to the possibility of cancer, it’s always better to catch a potential problem in the earliest stage possible,” said dermatologist Rachel Pflederer, M.D.

The Osage County Senior Center is getting ready for the Osage County Community Resource and Health Fair, which will be 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Thursday, April 26, 2018. Hosted by Home Town Health Care and ECKAN, the fun and educational experience at the senior center, 604 Market St., Osage City, Kan., is free for all ages. There will be door prizes, and the first 25 patrons will receive a certificate for a free lunch from the meals program, provided by Home Town Health Care. Informative vendors will be available for healthcare questions and free health screenings.

Upcoming:

The Kansas Department of Transportation has started a pavement marking project on Interstate 35. The work begins at the I-35 and U.S. Highway 75 junction and continues northeast to Eisenhower Road at Ottawa.

The existing pavement markings are being removed and replaced. Northbound and southbound I-35 traffic will be restricted to one lane with a reduced speed limit at the work zone. Weather permitting, the project should be finished by late July.

KDOT awarded the construction contract of $950,000 to Traffic Control Company, of St. Louis, Mo. For more information, contact Troy Howard at the KDOT office in Garnett, 785-448-5446, or Priscilla Petersen at the Chanute KDOT office, 620-902-6433.

LYNDON, Kan. – The Osage County Sheriff’s Office is joining other law enforcement officials across the state in collecting unused leftover medications for safe disposal on National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, Saturday, April 28, 2018. The Osage County collection will be 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, at the sheriff’s office, 131 W. 14th St., Lyndon, Kan.

The collection events are part of a nationwide effort to safely dispose of leftover medications to prevent accidental or intentional misuse. The National Drug Take Back Day is coordinated by the federal Drug Enforcement Administration, which collects and safely destroys the medications.

Medicines that languish in home cabinets are highly susceptible to diversion, misuse and abuse. Rates of prescription drug abuse in the U.S. are increasing, as are the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses due to these drugs. Studies show a majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including from the home medicine cabinet. In addition, Americans are now advised that traditional methods for disposing of unused medicines – flushing them down the toilet or throwing them in the trash – pose potential safety and health hazards and should be avoided.

Unused prescriptions can be turned in year-round at many local law enforcement locations. Kansans should contact their local sheriff’s office or police department for more information.

The Osage County Sheriff’s Office will also collect unused drugs at the Osage County Resource and Health Fair, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Thursday, April 26, at the Osage County Senior Center, 604 Market St., Osage City, Kan.

On April 20-22, 2018, the Osage County Sheriff’s Office will join the Kansas Highway Patrol and other law enforcement agencies in Kansas, Iowa, Nebraska Arkansas, Missouri and Oklahoma, to stop what has been an increasing epidemic for the past several years. Injury and deaths continue to increase from both alcohol and drugged impaired drivers.

“Regardless whether a drug is legal or illegal it’s a serious crime to drive while impaired by any drug,” said Osage County Sheriff Laurie Dunn.

In an effort to change this trend, law enforcement in this six-state area will be vigilant when patrolling around city, state and federal highways. The three-day high-visibility enforcement will target drug and alcohol impaired driving and other traffic safety issues.