Osage County News

22 hours ago

Notice to Bidders: Rehabilitation projects in Emporia, Kan.

Notice to Bidders

The City of Emporia is accepting bids for housing rehabilitation projects in Emporia, Kansas funded with a $300,000 CDBG Grant. Contractors must have RRP lead paint training and be able to obtain a local license. Contact Jeff Lynch at 620-343-4285 or [email protected] for bid information.
-----
Public Notices on Osage County News: It's Osage County Online!
www.osagecountyonline.com/archives/38324 ... See MoreSee Less

Photo

Osage County News

3 days ago

LYNDON, Kan. – In a social media post this afternoon, the Osage County Health Department announced that Osage County commissioners had exempted the county from Gov. Laura Kelly’s statewide emergency order issued last week requiring Kansans to wear face masks in most public situations. Kelly had issued the order due to the rising number of COVID-19 cases statewide, saying Kansas is facing a crisis with recent “worrying” spikes in cases, hospitalizations, and deaths, and stretching the healthcare system’s ability to handle the influx of patients.

Kelly’s order noted that “wearing a face covering in public is the easiest and most effective way to protect each other, ease the burden on our overburdened healthcare system, and help keep our businesses open and our economy running …”

Kelly’s order gave county commissioners until this week to decide to comply with the order, adopt their own order, or exempt the county from the order.

In a resolution approved at today’s meeting of the Osage County Commission, and posted on Osage County’s website, county commissioners ordered Osage County exempt from the governor’s order, citing three reasons:

“Enforcement of the governor’s executive order mandating masks would be difficult, if not impossible and would be an unreasonable strain on county resources such as PPE and local law enforcement.

“Broad ranging recommendations on safety precautions to fight the potential spread of COVID-19 better serve the public’s overall interests than governmental mandates.

“Opting out of the governor’s statewide executive order gives Osage County flexibility going forward to make recommendations or mandates, if necessary, that best protect the health and safety of Osage County, Kansas.”

www.osagecountyonline.com/archives/38339 ... See MoreSee Less

Photo

Osage County News is feeling thankful.

3 days ago

RCIL is growing! Now Hiring – Two full-time Payroll Clerks and one part-time Receptionist. Applicants must have computer and great customer service skills plus enjoy communicating over the telephone. RCIL processes weekly payroll for over 1,000 homecare workers in a busy work environment where quality is priority. Competitive pay, some flexibility in a daytime M-F work schedule, plus great benefits for full-time positions including, health, dental, vision, exceptional paid time off, ten paid holidays, 401k retirement plan including employer match, paid life insurance, cafeteria plan benefits all in safe work environment with private offices. RCIL values hiring quality team members that are a good fit with our team of long tenured staff. Qualified individuals with disabilities are encouraged to apply. Email resume including references, or request an application by email to [email protected]
www.osagecountyonline.com/archives/38292
-----
Read it on Osage County News: It's Osage County Online! ... See MoreSee Less

Photo

Osage County News

1 week ago

Update: This burn ban expired at 8 a.m. Friday, Nov. 20, 2020.
------
Osage County Emergency Management has issued a burn ban for the entire county, as the National Weather Service in Topeka has implemented a fire weather watch in effect this afternoon, Nov. 17, 2020, through Wednesday afternoon for most of northeast Kansas.

Osage County’s burn ban went into effect at 1:20 p.m. today and is in place until 8 a.m. tomorrow, Nov. 18, but may be extended. During the burn ban, no outside burning is allowed and all county burn permits are suspended.

The ban was put in place due to very high fire danger this afternoon. Very high fire danger and a possible red flag warning are forecast for tomorrow.

NWS’s fire weather watch was implemented at 2:32 p.m. today and will be in effect through Wednesday afternoon due to strong winds and critical fuels. The fire weather watch covers Osage, Republic, Washington, Marshall, Nemaha, Brown, Cloud, Clay, Riley, Pottawatomie, Jackson, Jefferson, Ottawa, Dickinson, Geary, Morris, Wabaunsee, Shawnee, Douglas, Lyon, Franklin, Coffey and Anderson counties.

South winds sustained at 20 to 30 mph with gusts up to 45 mph are forecast for tomorrow, with relative humidity values in the 25 to 35 percent range. Any fires that develop will likely spread rapidly. Outdoor burning is not recommended. Most vegetation has transitioned into a dormant state and is extremely susceptible to rapid fire spread.

A fire weather watch means that critical fire weather conditions are forecast to occur. Citizens are advised that issuance of red flag warnings is possible Wednesday.

For more information about the burn ban, contact Osage County Emergency Management at 785-828-3323 or the Osage County Sheriff’s Office at 785-828-3121.
Keep informed with Osage County News: It's Osage County Online!
www.osagecountyonline.com/archives/38284 ... See MoreSee Less

Photo

Osage County News

2 weeks ago

COVID-19 infects 100 in Osage County in one week

Around 100 new cases of COVID-19 have been diagnosed in Osage County in the last week, as Kansas reports record numbers of confirmed cases daily across the state.

As reported by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment today, Nov. 13, 2020, Osage County now has had 306 confirmed cases since the pandemic began. The Osage County Health Department confirmed that five people in Osage County have died from the virus as of Nov. 5, and that day marked 182 cases tallied in the county, including 25 active positive cases and 157 recovered cases. KDHE reported Osage County’s total cases at 206 on Nov. 5, with 100 new cases diagnosed in the last week.

OCHD reported Nov. 10 that the department would not be issuing case counts for the county this week due to being “very busy and short staffed,” while KDHE reported 25 new cases that day – the highest number of diagnosed cases in one day for the county since the pandemic began in March. Last month, the most new cases recorded in a day were six on Oct. 17; the record was broken on Nov. 3 with seven cases recorded; then Nov. 5, 10 cases; Nov. 10, 25 cases; Nov. 11, 16 cases; and yesterday recorded a dozen more.

Osage County is under no health orders regarding COVID-19, as the Osage County commissioners took action in July to reject Gov. Laura Kelly’s plan to mandate mask wearing in public spaces statewide and other measures.

Read more on Osage County News: It's Osage County Online!
www.osagecountyonline.com/archives/38225 ... See MoreSee Less

Photo