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Vietnam-era Kansas veteran runs free resource website for service members

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Vietnam-era Kansas veteran runs free resource website for service members


WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — To 1000’s of veterans throughout the nation, James Bower is thought by a special title.

“It’s been kinda neat to satisfy individuals and go, oh, you’re the ‘Veteran Bargains’ man!” Bower mentioned.

Since 2011, Bower has run a free web site — compiling a whole lot of sources for veterans.

“There’s numerous info on the market, however it’s all segmented,” Bower mentioned. “The nationwide listing has over 400 locations. The Wichita listing has 130 locations — vets can’t get to all of them,” Bower mentioned.

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Bower’s web site options dozens of nonprofits particularly for veterans. Referencing a category parable, they’re what Bower calls his “starfish” organizations.

“So I’m taking the starfish, and I’m throwing them again within the water … and the Younger Man says, ‘Outdated Man, there should be miles of seaside and 1000’s of starfish; you possibly can’t probably make a distinction!’ And the Outdated Man reaches down, and he picks up a starfish, and he tosses it into the ocean, and he says ‘I made a distinction to that one,’” Bower mentioned.

Bower says his assist of the navy began at a younger age.

“My dad served throughout Korea … he was my hero, and he was the one which I believe actually received me began on that trajectory,” Bower mentioned.

Bower himself is a Vietnam-era veteran: a helicopter mechanic at Fort Riley and a reforager in Germany. Bower says one among his favourite reminiscences of his time within the U.S. Military is when he would drive armed personnel carriers on the Autobahn.

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“We had helmets with intercoms, however our intercom didn’t work, so my observe commander picked up a giant stick, and he would faucet me on one aspect of the helmet or the opposite aspect of the helmet relying upon which method he wished me to go,” Bower mentioned.

At 19, Bower was promoted to Sergeant and was liable for the care of his whole firm’s constructing.

Years later, Bower took his expertise to the VA, the place he processed roughly 24,000 claims.

“I’d thank every vet, and I’d say, on behalf of myself and our nation, I’d wish to thanks to your service … and I keep in mind very distinctly speaking to combat-hardened veterans that was, simply begin bawling on the cellphone, ‘cuz no one had ever thanked ’em,” Bower mentioned.

Bower says the self-discipline instilled in him from his time within the service helped make his web site a actuality.

“In the event you had any individual who was falling behind, you helped them to catch up, and in the event you had been falling behind, others reached again and helped you as effectively … and I believe that carries on,” Bower mentioned.

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Bower was additionally instrumental within the planning course of to convey the Shifting Wall to Valley Heart. For extra info on the Shifting Wall, click on right here.


If you want to appoint a veteran for our Veteran Salute, e mail KSN reporter Hannah Adamson at hannah.adamson@ksn.com.



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Kansas

Kansas influencer SB Mowing raises over $750K for elderly homeowner who faced fine from city for overgrown lawn

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Kansas influencer SB Mowing raises over 0K for elderly homeowner who faced fine from city for overgrown lawn


A Kansas influencer raised over $793,000 to save a disabled elderly woman who faced a hefty fine from her town for failing to trim her overgrown yard.

Spencer, a content creator known for his landscaping business SB Mowing, said he met homeowner Beth last summer when a town official familiar with his social media videos contacted him and asked if he could help fix her lawn.

He was warned that Beth, who uses a cane to move around her property, needed to trim the yard or pay $240 for the town, which was not revealed in the video, to cut it for her.

An influencer raised $793,000 to change the life of a disabled woman. GoFundMe

‘I’ve spent a month trying to get someone to come mow,” Beth said in a video uploaded on Jan. 10. “They won’t answer their phones.”

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Beth revealed that the town officials had implemented a date for when she was required to have the yard cut before she faced the financial loss.

Spencer described the lawn that surrounded Beth’s small white house as unkept and was “getting crazy.”

“I can get that taken care of for ya,” Spencer assured her, offering his landscaping service at no cost.

“I can’t believe it that’s great,” Beth replied.

Spencer transformed her lawn by clearing grass from the driveway cracks, trimming the bushes, removing trees and mowing very tall grass.

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Spencer stepped in after lawn care companies wouldn’t help Beth. GoFundMe
Spencer offered his landscaping service at no cost. GoFundMe

“I cried on and off just listening to your machine,” Beth told Spencer after the big reveal.

Spencer added that he was happy to help Beth as she became emotional over the gesture.

“Your work makes me twinkle so I really appreciate you. I can’t tell you how much. No one’s been happy to help me,” she added.

On top of the lawn issues, Spencer then noticed the home needed improvements to accommodate Beth, who was “in desperate need of help.”

The money raised will help Beth “gain accessibility and comfort” on her property. GoFundMe

Spencer launched a GoFundMe when he noticed how Beth’s old stairs posed an issue for her to walk on and that the driveway cracks could cause her to fall.

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The small business owner raised over a half million dollars within a day to help her “gain accessibility and comfort” on other parts of her property.

Funds raised will help address accessibility issues she faces including building a new ramp outside so it’s easier for her to get to her front door, a smooth driveway and a chair lift that will allow her to get up and down stairs for her laundry.

“We’re gonna be able to do a little bit more than just your driveway and your ramp here,” Spencer revealed. GoFundMe

The money will also pay a lawn care company to maintain her yard for the “next few years” because Spencer lives too far away.

The elderly homeowner was stunned when she received the life-changing donation.

“I can’t even cry,” Beth said. “I can’t even think.”

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“I never expected help ever, ever, ever. I always help people until I got down and out,” Beth added.

“We’re gonna be able to do a little bit more than just your driveway and your ramp here,” Spencer revealed.

Spencer is making sure all the money that was raised doesn’t fall into the wrong hands.

“I am also working with an attorney to set up a trust for her to make sure that all of the funds are protected,” Spencer wrote in an update on the GoFundMe page. “I don’t want anybody trying to take advantage of her and I want to make sure that the funds are used properly.”

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Kansas City-based Jack Cooper Transport to lay off 406 employees after losing Ford contract

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Kansas City-based Jack Cooper Transport to lay off 406 employees after losing Ford contract


KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Jack Cooper Transport Company, LLC, notified state officials last week of its plans to lay off more than 400 people and terminate its Kansas City operations, according to a filing obtained by KSHB 41.

Last week, KSHB 41 News reported on details that the Kansas City-based company had lost a key contract to transport vehicles at several Ford assembly plants across the country, including Ford’s Claycomo Assembly Plant.

In a Jan. 6 letter to the Missouri Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development, a company human resources representative said 129 casual yard workers, 116 drivers and 107 yard employees would lose their jobs by Feb. 2.

The company also said it planned to close its facility at 1240 Claycomo Road, which is adjacent to Ford’s Claycomo plant.

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A Ford spokesperson said the company does not comment “on our contracts or relationships with individual suppliers.”

“We manage supplier relationships in line with our sourcing strategy, designed to enable us to best serve our customers,” the spokesperson said.

Jack Cooper Transport, founded in 1928, originally helped transport vehicles for General Motors at its Leeds Assembly Plant in Kansas City, Missouri.

The transport company’s website states Jack Cooper is one of the largest privately owned auto transport and specialized vehicle logistics providers in the United States.

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Workers are represented by Teamsters Union Local 41.

Teamster’s Union General President Sean O’Brien said last week on social media the union would “defend our members.”





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LifeSave Kansas Earns Prestigious CAMTS Accreditation

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LifeSave Kansas Earns Prestigious CAMTS Accreditation


Recognition underscores commitment to safety and clinical excellence, as demonstrated by recent long-distance transport of a special infant

LifeSave Kansas aircraft

LifeSave Kansas uses both helicopters and fixed wing airplanes to transport patients to the needed level of medical care. These aircraft function as flying ICUs.

Wichita, KS, Jan. 14, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The LifeSave Kansas emergency air medical program is proud to announce its accreditation by the Commission on Accreditation of Medical Transport Systems (CAMTS). This accreditation affirms the program’s unwavering commitment to safety and clinical excellence over its 24 years of life-saving service to the state of Kansas.

“Our LifeSave bases in Emporia, Wichita, Liberal, and Garden City were inspected and found to meet the stringent safety and quality requirements to achieve full CAMTS accreditation,” said Kandi Sagehorn, clinical director with Air Methods, the nation’s leading air medical service provider and parent company of LifeSave Kansas. “This is an exciting accomplishment, and I am proud of the LifeSave team members and leaders who continually work to ensure each base’s compliance with the accreditation standards.”

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CAMTS accreditation indicates the program meets or exceeds rigorous standards for safety, patient care, and clinical quality. It also acknowledges organizations that implement best practices and work to continually improve performance.

“It highlights the dedication, expertise, and hard work of our entire team,” said Shannon Kilmartin, a flight nurse with LifeSave 21 in Emporia. “I’m thankful to everyone who works to maintain the rigorous standards required for this honor.”

One example of this commitment to excellence was seen last August when the fixed wing crew from LifeSave 15 in Wichita transported seven-month-old Hazel Randolph from her home in Bartlesville, OK to Palo Alto, CA for heart surgery.

When the Randolph family learned of Hazel’s severe congenital heart defect shortly after her birth, they were told she was an unlikely candidate for surgery, and she was put on hospice care. Undeterred by this diagnosis, Hazel’s mother, Loren Randolph, searched for options until she learned that doctors at Stanford University Medical Center had pioneered a specialized surgery to treat the condition.

The family flew on a commercial airplane to California for the surgery but had to cancel it when they contracted COVID. The family drove back home to Oklahoma knowing they had to find a safer way to get Hazel back to the surgeons at Stanford. Thankfully, an air medical flight was approved by their insurance provider, so she was safely flown to her surgery under the loving care of the LifeSave Kansas clinical crew.

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