D AY L I G H T S AV I N G T I M E B E G I N S
S U N D AY MARCH 13
Saturday, March 12, 2022
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Director reflects on two years of COVID By VICKIE MOSS The Iola Register
Two years ago, Rebecca Johnson was still learning the ropes of becoming the new director for the Southeast Kansas Multi-County Health Departments when the COVID-19 pandemic arrived. The health crisis made for a steep learning curve and thrust the naturally quiet Johnson into the spotlight. “I’ve told myself throughout this pandemic to try to stay strong, because that’s what our residents need,” Johnson said. “I keep thinking that if I can make it through this, then I can make it through anything.” Not only were Johnson and her staff tasked with keeping the public safe, they had to do it amid a great deal of pushback from the public. They received threats, vandalism and hateful comments. Sometimes, they didn’t
Allen County COVID-19 Case Count
Active cases ...........12 Total cases* ...........3,954 Deaths ..................46
Rebecca Johnson, director of the Southeast Kansas Multi-County Health Departments. FILE PHOTO have all the information they needed. And, oddly, at the same time they were inundated with ever-changing and contradictory information from state and federal health officials. The stress of the pandemic took its toll on the public health system. Johnson estimates about 60 out of 105 counties have lost their health department administrators and officers since the pandemic began. Five of the counties See JOHNSON | Page A4
Recovery takes time By VICKIE MOSS The Iola Register
No one has escaped the stress of two years of dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic. But for some — particularly health care workers, educators and those with chronic health conditions — it has been overwhelming. Local mental health professionals continue to see people struggling with the effects of the pandemic and report an increase in need for services. “I think our health care workers and our teachers are burned out from everything,” said therapist Kari Miller, owner of Blanket Fort Therapy. “And for people with chronic health conditions, it’s hard for them to feel safe.” It’s also challenging for those who have lost loved ones to COVID-19. They’re grieving, at a time when the world is changing. “COVID has highlighted isolation,” said Holly Jerome, director of human resources and marketing for Southeast Kansas Mental Health Center.
Telehealth services for mental health became more popular during the COVID-19 pandemic. The COVID-19 pandemic was declared a national emergency on March 13, 2020, and led to mental health disruptions for many. PIXABAY.OM “We’re seeing individuals who have never experienced any kind of mental health situation. Once they needed to stay home or isolate, or they got sick, it created a lot of issues.” The pandemic also has increased the need for children’s mental health services. The number of children needing services has ballooned from about 400 pre-pandemic to roughly 600 across the system’s six counties.
Say it ain’t snow
*Since the start of the pandemic
Iola students who ventured outside for their first day of spring break Friday were greeted by nearly 4 inches of snow that fell overnight, providing ample opportunity for fun. Because it’s Kansas weather, forecasts call for 70-degree weather by the end of the weekend, and anywhere between zero and 14 more snow events by the time spring finally arrives. REGISTER/RICHARD LUKEN
Sources: Southeast Kansas Multi-County Health Departments, Kansas Department of Health and Environment
How an Iolan wound up at Notre Dame
PAGE B1 Xavier, left, and Jayden Silvey build a snow hut for an eventual snowman at Iola’s Riverside Park.
Kansas jobless rate drops to 2.6% PAGE A2
How will COVID end? A look at clues PAGE A4
GOP Senate map has incumbents competing PAGE A8
Vol. 124, No. 113 Iola, KS $1.00
Chuck Swart tries his hand at snowboarding down the river dike at Iola’s Riverside Park.
iolaregister.com
Rourk Boeken sleds down the Riverside Park dike.
SEKMHC has adapted by offering new types of services and extending their hours. Telehealth services allow them to see more new patients as they can assign therapists from throughout their system. They’ve also added morning and evening appointments. The mental health system also added staff, going from a little over 100 employees pre-pandemic to 250 now. See THERAPY | Page A7
Russian offensive widens LVIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russia widened its offensive in Ukraine on Friday, striking airfields in the west and a major industrial city in the east, while the huge armored column that had been stalled for over a week outside Kyiv was on the move again, spreading out into forests and towns near the capital. On the economic and political front, the U.S. and its allies moved to further isolate and sanction Russia by revoking its most favored trading status, while on the ground, the Kremlin’s forces appeared to be trying to regroup and regain momentum after encountering heavier losses and stiffer resistance than anticipated. “It’s ugly already, but it’s going to get worse,” said Nick Reynolds, a land warfare analyst at Royal United Services Institute, a British think tank. With the invasion in its 16th day, Russian President Vladimir Putin said there had been “certain positive developments” in Russia-Ukraine talks, but gave no details. For his part, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukrainian forces had “reached a See RUSSIA | Page A3
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