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MITCHELL COUNTY COMMISSIONERS - Monday, March 24, 2025

By Terry Bailey

Tony Miller and Denae Bechard, representing Mid-America CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates), were present at the Mitchell County Commissioners meeting on Monday morning, March 24, to discuss Child Abuse.
Miller and Bechard explained that child abuse and neglect cause trauma, which can impair brain development and is linked to physical, emotional and behavioral issues later in life. This is not a "big city" urban problem but exists in all facets of our modern day world. Child abuse occurs when parents do not provide suitable care for their children.
Child neglect is the most common form of child maltreatment and happens when a parent or caregiver does not provide for the needs of their children. Having money or not having money is not an accurate measure of the presence of child abuse. Poverty does not equal neglect. Child abuse is an act by a parent or caregiver that results in or risks serious harm to a child.
Understanding the symptoms and risk factors for child maltreatment can help child welfare professionals and others identify and build on families' strengths and natural supports to prevent and mitigate maltreatment and keep children safe.
All families experience stress. When multiple stressors (or risk factors) build up in families, children have a greater likelihood of experiencing maltreatment.
Child abuse is not a situational factor which happens, then goes away never to cause problems in the future. The effects of child abuse create lifelong issues that can haunt people well into their adult lives.
The Mitchell County Commissioners, Tom Claussen, Cole Eberle and Mike Riemann, signed a proclamation declaring the month of April as Child Abuse Awareness month in Mitchell County.
The Mid-America CASA program is headquartered in Concordia. The organization provides advocates for children whose families are involved with court actions involving child abuse situations. The assistance to children is operated totally by volunteers. Miller said they currently have 30 children under their care but have only six CASA volunteers to provide services. New members are welcome to provide services to needy children.
Terrence Silvia, Mitchell County Director of Communications, was present to request authorization to spend 911 funds to update the equipment in the Communications center. His request was for parts that will allow him and his technicians to assemble new computers using their own expertise.
Silvia said, "It is much cheaper to build them ourselves. That way we can build them to match our needs."
The Commissioners approved the expenditure of $32,789 of Federal 911 funds to provide a five-year refresh of the Communications center equipment.
Allen Brown and Becky Fisher representing the Anytime Lab of Wichita were present to discuss the protocols and provisions of their drug and alcohol testing program. They operate in some capacity in all 105 counties and in five Midwestern states. The cost for their testing is $6 per person per month if they only test the county's DOT employees. If they test all the county employees the cost is $5.25 per employee per month.
Missy McGuinness was present to request the County purchase an electrical generator for the Ambulance barn in Cawker City.
The Commissioners asked McGuiness to visit with the Cawker City Council to see if they would like to participate in a cost share program to help purchase the generator.

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