All posts by Loretta George

Business, Clothing, Fort Scott

Fort Scott Washateria: Business Plan Includes Community Service of Wash Wednesday

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Carol Oakleaf, left, and Lori Lovelace show the donation can for clothing to the Fort Scott Community Closet which is located in the Fort Scott Washateria in this 2019 photo.

Fort Scott Washateria is a family business that was opened in September 2019 by Carol Oakleaf, her daughter Lori Lovelace, son-in-law Leroy Walker, and her son, Doug Oakleaf.

“As a part of our community outreach we have partnered with Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas, Healthy Bourbon County Team, and COPE to have Wash Wednesdays starting November 1st,” Lovelace said.
Communities Organizing to Promote Equity (COPE) is a project of the Department of Family Medicine & Community Health, Kansas University School of Medicine. To learn more: [email protected].
Each Wednesday, starting Nov. 1, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. a limited number of washers and dryers will be available for free.

Lovelace is the managing member overseeing business operations.

“As part of our business goals in Fort Scott we provide services for the community including the Fort Scott Community Closet which collects clothing and bedding donations from the community and we store and distribute them to people who need them,” Lovelace said.
The Washateria is located at 501 S. National Ave.
A small building at the Washateria houses the Community Clothes Closet.
Inside the Community Clothes Closet at the Washateria.
On November 1, the Washateria will have a new community service, Wash Wednesday, offering one free cycle of washing and one free cycle of drying to a family, two times a month, Lovelace said.
The Washateria will provide the laundry detergent and dryer sheets for this program, she said.
In addition, on Wednesdays, Lovelace will make sure the Community Clothes Closet is open for those who may need clothing or bedding.
The normal hours for the closet is Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. “People must come in and sign in to have access to the closet while their stuff is washing,” she said.
The washing machines that will be available for the Wash Wednesday program.
The dryers that will be available for the Wash Wednesday program.
The guidelines for Wash Wednesday:
The 22lb washers hold the equivalent of 2 loads of a home top-loader, 1 load per family.
However, people will not wash comforters, blankets, large mattress pads, etc, because those bulky items do not spin out well in the small machines and won’t dry in one dryer cycle.

“We request that this free service be utilized only two times per month for each customer so that the maximum number of folks can use the free machines,” Lovelace said.  “We will have a sign-in sheet to keep track. The same family can only come two times a month.”

 “Laundry customers must stay with their laundry and transfer their clothes to the dryer, our transfer service is not available as we have to move quickly to keep the machines going,” she said.
About Washateria
 “We are a public laundromat and we do wash/dry/fold services for the public as well as commercial laundry,” she said. ” We also provide custom services such as starch/press and steaming.”
The Washateria is staffed, and open 8 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 12 p.m.-8 p.m. on Sunday.
Hours of the Washateria.
“Customer service is of utmost importance to us and we happily help folks who come in with any questions and help with the machines,” she said.  “We have state-of-the-art Speed Queen commercial washers and dryers in a variety of size loads, 4 loads, 6 loads, and 8 load washers and small, medium, and large dryers, the dryers are sized for our machines.  Our machines take quarters as well as debit/credit cards and we have a loyalty card that provides a discount when it is loaded to be used in the machines.”
Fort Scott Washateria is located at 501 S National Ave on the corner of 5th and National.  For more information: 620-644-9834, email: [email protected]
Bourbon County, Business, Entertainment, Food, Fort Scott

Shop, Swine and Swig Coming to the River Room Today

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Shelby Defebaugh is a vendor and the organizer of the Shop, Swig and Swine event. Pictured: some of her creations. Submitted.

A holiday vendor event is happening today, October 19, at the River Room from 5 to 8 p.m.

Shop, Swig, and Swine is being organized by Shelby Defebaugh, who is a vendor herself. “I make pens, lanyards, keychains and wristlets. Customization is welcome,” she said.

“In August I started organizing the event,” Defebaugh said. “When you are a vendor… you become like a community.” And several vendors were interested.

Shelby Defebaugh. Photo by Brian Wade.

The River Room is located at the corner of National Avenue and Oak Street on Fort Scott’s north end. The event is from 5-8 p.m. with no cost to attendees.

Brickstreet BBQ is located at the corner of Oak Street and National Avenue on Fort Scott’s northside. The River Room Event Center is located on the second floor.

“I know everyone is busy,” she said. “I felt like a Thursday evening, when you get off work, go shop with girlfriends and grab some food to take home.”

The Flying P Ranch is a vendor at the Shop, Swig and Swine event, from its Facebook page.

The name “Shop, Swig and Swine” is because “You can shop, and have adult beverages and Brickstreet BBQ will have a concession bar and food,” Defebaugh said.

 

Defebaugh said she wanted to thank Cathy Bishop,  event coordinator at the River Room, and the Fort Scott Tribune for their help with the event.

Amanda Emmerson is a vendor at the event, from its Facebook page.

Vendors pay $40 per booth.

Sammie Gathercole’s S/L Studio is a vendor from Shop, Swig, and Swine Facebook page.

However, she is giving booth space for free to the Fort Scott High School Art Club for a fundraiser which is a  Christmas scene photo.

Vendors for the event:
Better in Bourbon
Flying P Ranch
Seint Make up
Blissful Aesthetics
FSHS Art Club
Couchman Acres
Sunshine Boutique
KC Design
Farmer Blake
Doggy Style
Gyp & Jo
Cathy Bishop
The Hamilton’s Artisan Bakery
Beitree
SL Studio
Scentsy
Write On
Buckin A Ranch
Rope Baskets
Little Candle Factory
Peace Acres Freeze Dried Candy
Over The Hill Signs
Red Aspen
Brickstreet BBQ
Sassy Cactus
C3 Designs
doTerra Essential Oils

For more information about the event:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1298619290775003/?ref=share_group_link

 

Business, Government, Kansas

Fort Scott Radio Station Recognized by Kansas Dept. of Commerce

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Tim and Deb McKenney at the recent awards ceremony. Submitted photo.

A local business was recognized during the recent ceremony by The Kansas Department of Commerce held in Wichita on Oct. 12.

To The Stars: Kansas Businesses Awards is an annual awards program that recognizes businesses across the state for the valuable contributions they make to the Kansas economy and to the well-being of their communities, according to https://www.kansascommerce.gov/kansasbusinessawards/.

Fort Scott Broadcasting Co. Inc was recognized as the Southeast Kansas Regional Winner in Retail and Service. Tim and Deb McKenney are the owners of the business.

The award plaque was received by the McKenney’s. Submitted photo.

“Deb submitted the information,” Tim McKenney said.  “It was really just a statement about the station’s 70th birthday under the same family ownership and management coming up next year.  She mentioned some of our programs we air regularly such as the city, county, and school talk shows to keep folks in tune with current happenings in the area.”

“The award was for 69 years of community service to our community,” Deb said.

 

The order of the awards at the ceremony. Submitted photo.

The categories were:

  • AgriBusiness – companies that stand out in the agribusiness industry – including agricultural production, products and services, and agri-tourism
  • Apprenticeship Champions and Partners – companies and other entities that excel providing registered apprenticeship programs in Kansas
  • Business Innovation – companies from any sector incorporating innovative technologies in their business
  • Healthcare/Nonprofit – noteworthy services provided by either healthcare facilities or nonprofit organizations
  • Manufacturing/Distribution – outstanding achievement for companies large and small involved in manufacturing and distribution
  • Non-Traditional Talent Pools – companies that have gone above and beyond to hire those with prior involvement in the justice system, youth, seniors or individuals with disabilities
  • Retail/Service – exceptional performance by businesses selling goods, products and/or services
  • Under 30 Entrepreneurs – young entrepreneurs achieving business success under the age of 30
  • Welcome Back – entrepreneurs and businesspeople who once left Kansas but have returned to make their mark in the Sunflower State.

Businesses and individuals from across the state were honored for their outstanding contributions to Kansas communities and the state’s economy at the ceremony, according to a press release.

Governor Laura Kelly announced at the ceremony that Atwood-based SurePoint Ag Systems has won the 2023 Governor’s Award of Excellence and Tank Connection in Parsons earned the Governor’s Exporter of the Year Award, according to the press release.

A record 297 businesses, organizations and individuals were nominated in nine categories for this year’s To the Stars: Kansas Business Awards, according to the release. Nominees were reviewed and scored for various criteria such as business expansion, employee recruitment and retention practices, training and educational programs, capital investments, and support of local community events. A total of 245 Merit Awards and 43 Regional Awards were presented at the event. Additionally, one nominee in each category was designated a Statewide Winner, making them finalists for the Governor’s Award of Excellence.

To view the list of award winners: https://www.kansascommerce.gov/kansasbusinessawards/#h-merit-award-winners

In the regional award winners division for retail/ service across the state, the winners were:

From the Southeast section of the state,  the regional winner was Fort Scott Broadcasting All Hit 103.9 fm, 98.3 fm, and 1600 am.

East Central
JT’s Grill

Northwest
Shores Napa Auto Parts

Northeast
Lumber House True Value

South Central
Country at Heart

Southwest
Jetmore Veterinary Service

 

Business, Youth

Young Entrepreneurs: Luke and Natalie Lehman

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This is part of a series featuring young people who have started selling a product or service. If you know of a young business person, send their email or phone number to [email protected]

Luke and Natalie Lehman are twins. Both are young entrepreneurs.

Luke Lehman sold his horseshoe creations at the Fort Scott Farmers Market on Sept. 30.

Luke Lehman,15, started a horseshoe-inspired gifts business in August because of the availability of materials.

“I sell small trinkets, made out of horseshoes, such as pumpkins, napkin holders, and Christmas ornaments,” he said. “I chose this to sell because my grandpa had a lot of horseshoes from auctions, and needed something to do with them. My dad had also made a few things out of them before.”

He calls his business Farmhouse Metalworks.

“I attended the Children’s Business Fair classes and learned about things like marketing, pricing, and target customers,” he said.

Natalie Lehman. Submitted photos.

Natalie Lehman, 15, is an artist by passion.

“I love to paint, watercolor, and use oil pastels,” she said.
The idea of her business started at Christmas last year.
“I got a box of blank cards and envelopes as well as some supplies to decorate them,” she said. “I made a few cards here and there but never thought it would turn into a business.”
Then Natalie and her brother Luke started attending the Children’s Business Fair seminars.
“When we started attending the business seminars, I was trying to think of what I would do for my business,” she said. “That night at dinner, my Grandma made a comment that she was having a hard time trying to find a card to give for the occasion of a baptism and asked if I would be interested in making her a custom card for that. And that’s where I got the idea to make cards for my business.”
The name of her business is Blessings Abundant (Designs of Devotion).
She creates custom cards and keychains.
Some of Natalie Lehman’s creations. Submitted.
She said the Children’s Business Fair gave some valuable information.
“It helped me understand more how to manage my money better, and how to get out of it the profit that I needed to pay for all the work and expenses I put into it,” she said.
Luke and Natalie are the children of Jacob and Amanda Lehman, Girard.
The Children’s Business Fair seminars are made available by the Pittsburg State University Small Business Development Center and the Healthy Bourbon County Action Team, Fort Scott.
The Pittsburg State University Small Business Development Center and the Healthy Bourbon County Action Team were sponsors of the Children’s Business Fair on Sept. 30 at the Fort Scott Farmers Market.

 

Business, Youth

Young Entrepreneur: Gunner Keylon

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This is part of a series featuring young people who have started selling a product or service. If you know of a young business person, send their email or phone number to [email protected]

Gunner Keylon preparing some of his products to sell. Submitted photo.
Gunner Keylon, 12, owns his own business called The JG Store.

He sells homemade treats: such as rock candy, brownies, rice krispy treats, peanut butter fudge, trail mix, etc.

In addition, he sells his artwork:  sketches.
An example of Gunner Keylon’s sketches. Submitted photo.
” I like to draw and get requests sometimes, so I thought they might sell well,” he said. “I also thought rock candy sounded fun to make and you can’t buy it just anywhere.”
Gunner Keylon at the Fort Scott Farmers Market on Sept. 30 selling his product: homemade sweets and art sketches. Submitted photos.
“I’ve been thinking about starting the business for a long time but I actually put it into action a couple of weeks ago,” he said.
He didn’t attend the Children’s Business Fair classes at the Healthy Bourbon County Action Team in Fort Scott but joined the business fair just before it took place at the Fort Scott Farmers Market on Sept. 30.
“At the fair, I learned that owning your own business is hard work but it’s worth it!” he said.
His parents are Jared and Ashley Keylon
Government, Health Care

Healthcare in Bourbon County: Amberwell

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The emergency room in 2019 prior to Ascension Via Christi assuming operations.

Ascension Via Christi is stopping their emergency department services in Fort Scott at the end of this year.

But a new healthcare system is coming to replace the services.

At this week’s special City of Fort Scott Commission meeting, Mayor Matthew Wells said “It is public knowledge at this point that Amberwell is the company that we are partnering with, their home office is in Atchison, Kansas.”

The city approved $600,000 for its part in the new E.R. services in a Memorandum of Understanding.

Other entities

At a special Bourbon County Commission meeting this week the commissioners approved $500,000 towards the new E.R. services.

“The administration and Board of Trustees at Fort Scott Community College recognize the importance and need for there to be an active emergency room in the county,” Dr. Jason Kegler, President of Fort Scott Community Colleges said. “We understand the benefit this provides to our guests, students and staff. The college remains mindful of the financial responsibility we have to the citizens of this county. We will have internal discussions about how best for us to partner with other entities to ensure the continued presence of an emergency room in this county.”

Because of public school finance laws  USD 234 is unable to help financially, Destry Brown, Superintendent said. “We do support it, but we can’t help with it financially.”

About Amberwell

Amberwell Health has a mission to sustain and strengthen rural healthcare, through affiliation with clinically integrated organizations that share services, expertise, and group savings while retaining local operational management,  according to its website.

As of January 2022, Amberwell had 650 employees serving across seven locations in six communities in northeast Kansas, according to the website.

Problems in healthcare

“Kansas has 104 rural hospitals – and more than 80% of them are losing money, according to the Center for Healthcare Quality and Payment Reform, a nonprofit think-tank,” Mayor Wells said. “More than half are deemed to be at risk of closing this year.”

“The biggest problems for rural hospitals (are) a combined high percentage of Medicare and Medicaid patients and payments from private insurance companies that, like those from government programs, don’t cover the cost of providing services, Wells said.
“Under the new federal program, we could qualify for a subsidy of approximately $2.2 million a year plus a 3% increase in Medicare payments by becoming a federally designated Rural Emergency Hospital. However, we must be a functioning rural hospital that meets these conditions. To qualify, this organization we are partnering with will provide these services.”

“The Kansas Hospital Association (https://www.kha-net.org/) estimates that Kansas would have received an additional $6.2 billion in federal funding if it had expanded Medicaid when the opportunity arose in 2014,” Wells said. “I ask you to start pressing the state legislature to make this happen, for our community, for our people.”

 

“We are so thankful that Ascension has helped provide the E.R. to date, but they too have been subsidized with free rent and free utilities by Legacy Health,” Wells said.

Amberwell will also receive this benefit, he said.

“On top of the E.R., this is one of the greatest needs: primary care doctors for us citizens,” Wells said. “We are also told that Amberwell has the ability, because of the way it has set itself up to create single-payer systems, that allow people to pay directly for services without having to have insurance. Many of the businesses showed extreme interest in this model, and one said it would save them a lot of money.”

 

Bourbon County, Business

Heartland Creates Solar Farm To Generate Energy For Local Members

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The Devon Solar Farm is located at 135th and Range Road in Bourbon County.
 Heartland Rural Electric Cooperative, Girard, is a distribution cooperative that has members in Bourbon County.

“What we do is buy wholesale power and distribute it to homes, farms, and businesses over our poles and wires,” said Doug Graham, Communication Specialist for Heartland Rural Electric Cooperative, Inc. “So we don’t do much in the realm of generating electricity.”

Heartland provides service to around 11,250 meters, with around 1,700 located in Bourbon County, said Graham.

Heartland Adds Solar

“Within the last few years, it became apparent that we could reduce our wholesale power bill by using some locally generated solar energy,” he said. “We worked with our power supplier (KEPCo) to amend our contract so we and other cooperatives would be allowed to generate or otherwise procure up to 15% of our peak power demand, with 5% of that amount specifically allowing for the addition of solar.”
“The way we’ve approached solar has been to work with a company called Today’s Power, Inc. (TPI) to build solar farms on sites very close to our distribution substations,” he said. “We buy the land and lease it to TPI, and then TPI builds, operates, and maintains all the solar equipment.”
“We have long-term agreements with TPI to purchase the electricity generated by the solar farms at a set rate, which reduces how much energy we have to buy off the market,” Graham said. “This is especially beneficial during peak times when electricity is most expensive.”
In May 2021 Heartland built two  1-MW solar farms, one at Greenbush and the other at Urbana.
“The solar farm has a direct benefit to Heartland members in that it helps keep rates stable by reducing our wholesale power cost,” Graham said. “Having it be a clean and locally generated source of energy is a nice bonus.”
After they came online, the solar farms proved very effective at reducing costs, he said.
“We decided to pursue two slightly smaller (750 kW) solar arrays near our Devon and Linn substations,” he said. “The Devon array came online in the spring of 2023, while the Linn array is still in development. We have no other solar projects in development.”
The one in Bourbon County is located at 135th St. and Range Rd., just east of Heartland’s Devon distribution substation.
The 750 kW solar array powers around 130 homes.
The solar array panels in rural Bourbon County. Submitted photo.
These arrays are relatively small in utility terms, with a footprint of around seven acres for each, he said.
“The energy generated at each solar farm is used right away by the members on those substations,” he said. “It’s all local. In fact, we’re not allowed to push energy back onto the transmission grid, which is why it’s very important that we size our solar systems just right to match what our members served on those substations can actually use.”
“These solar farms are part of a larger statewide initiative called the Kansas Cooperative Sun Power Program, a partnership between TPI and 11 other Kansas co-ops. Joining forces with the other cooperatives helped everyone secure better pricing,” Graham said.
Solar Has Saved On Wholesale Power Bill
“So far this year, our three solar farms have saved us roughly 2.5% off of our wholesale power bill versus what we would have had to pay if we didn’t have solar in place to reduce the peak demand,” he said. “It’s a small thing we can do to help control costs while staying within the parameters of our contract with our power supplier. In a way, it’s a lot like what we ask our members to do on peak days in the summer: make small adjustments to your usage and save a little bit on your bill, which in turn adds up to significant savings for the co-op as a whole. That helps keep rates from climbing as fast as everything else these days.”
Is There a Sound Issue?
For neighbors the sound of the arrays is minimal.
“There’s a bit of a hum from the inverters that turn the DC power generated by the solar panels into AC power that can be used in homes, but it’s not very loud,” he said. “You could carry on a conversation at normal volume right next to the inverters. We haven’t had any complaints whatsoever.”

 

Bourbon County, Food, Government, Schools

Hydrophonics is Coming to a Local School System

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A photo of hydroponics taken from a USDA website.

Hydroponics is coming to Uniontown’s school district.

Hydroponics is the technique of growing plants using a water-based nutrient solution rather than soil,  according to https://www.nal.usda.gov/farms-and-agricultural-production-systems/hydroponics

“USD 235 is excited to be the recipient of a hydroponic shipping container farm through a grant awarded to the Kansas Division of Children and Families,” USD 235 Superintendent Vance Eden said.  “It was announced on September 11th, 2023 that Community Green Farms of Pittsburg Kansas would receive just over $1,000,000 to bring seven southeast Kansas counties vertical hydroponic container farms.”

Vance Eden, superintendent of USD 235. Photo from the school district’s website.

“Uniontown Schools has been selected to be the recipient for Bourbon Couty,” Eden said. “These shipping containers use state-of-the-art technology to efficiently produce hyper-organic products in significant quantities within a minimal footprint.”

The greens grown will be consumed at the two school building’s cafeterias in the district.

“Not only will this space serve as a hands-on learning environment that will be used across the spectrum of ages and courses, but it will also provide produce that can be consumed in our cafeterias,” he said.  “We believe this opportunity will serve students and their futures in dynamic and tangible ways.”

The container has been ordered and will be placed on the school campus during the last week of November.

“Then, the setup of the farm and training for key staff will take place in December,” he said. “This means that it will be in production and available for student and teacher use during the second semester.”

“Mrs. Delta Pollock will be a leader, helping staff and students step into this new experience with confidence while Mrs. Shayla Knight will manage the food-service portion of vegetable production for our cafeterias,” he said.

Learning and adjusting will be part of the process of integrating hydroponics into learning experiences for the students in USD 235, he said.

“We eagerly jump into this opportunity with dreams and excitement for the impact that can be realized,” Eden said.

Once the container farm is established, community members will be invited to an open house “to see and taste what this new opportunity looks like in person,” Eden said.

“We want to publicly acknowledge Community Green Farms in their selection of USD 235 as the recipient and commend them on their commitment to bringing these opportunities to southeast Kansas schools at no cost,” he said.

 

The USD 235 Board of Education Office is located in Uniontown High School.

 

Bourbon County, Fort Scott, Health Care, Southeast Kansas Mental Health Center

Clinic Offered This Saturday For Those Seeking Mental Health Services

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A  mental health clinic is offered to the community this Saturday, Oct. 14 at the former Mercy Hospital building.

Suite B of the SEKMHC at 401` Woodland Hills Blvd.

Those who are interested in initiating therapy services and seeing if other services are desired must make an appointment by Oct. 12

“This (clinic) is for anyone wishing to start services with us, “Dawne Burchett Southeast Kansas Mental Health Center Manager of Prevention and Promotion said “Anyone who would like additional support for any reason.”

An appointment can be made by calling 620.223.5030.

The office staff will ask for your name, date of birth, address, Social Security Number, insurance information, and reasons you are seeking services.

On the day of your appointment, proof of income, insurance card, and Social Security Number are needed.

The hours of this clinic are 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Oct. 14.

The location is 401 Woodland Hills Blvd., Fort Scott.

SEKMHC moved into the building on Sept. 11 and shares the clinic facility with Ashley Clinic.

SEKMHC and Ashley Clinic joined to create a more accessible, efficient, and effective model of care for the citizens of Kansas, according to a previous press release. The focus: leading integrated, whole-person care and breaking down barriers for patients.

To see a prior story:

Former Mercy Building Now SEK Mental Health and Ashley Clinic

401 Woodland Hills Blvd. houses offices of the  Southeast Kansas Mental Health Center.

About SEKMHC

Southeast Kansas Mental Health Center, established in 1961,  is a not-for-profit organization that provides, advocates and coordinates quality mental health care, services, and programs, according to its website https://www.sekmhc.org/about/.

Core services include:

  • Outpatient psychiatry
  • Therapy
  • Consultation
  • Chemical abuse counseling
  • Case management
  • Educational and skill-building groups
  • Specialty training
  • Physical healthcare coordination
  • 24/7 crisis intervention services
Fort Scott, Fort Scott Community College, Jobs

FSCC New Nursing Instructor: Sara Holder

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Sara Holder and her family. Submitted photo.

Sara Holder is a new nursing instructor at Fort Scott Community College’s Nursing Department. This is Holder’s first semester of teaching.

Her nursing experience includes emergency room, same-day surgery, and a school nurse position.

Holder graduated from William Jewell College in 1999.

She became an educator “through encouragement from friends and family,” she said. “They supported and encouraged me to make a difference in the lives of students in this community.”

“I am Inspired by all the excellent nurses I have worked with over the years,” she said. “I want to teach nursing students to be like them.”

The best part of teaching for her is encouraging students to become safe, compassionate, caring nurses.

The greatest challenge is the transition from expert at the bedside to classroom instructor, she said.

The Fort Scott Community Nursing Department is located at 810 Burke.

The Fort Scott Community College Nursing Department offers students an Associate of Applied Science Degree in Nursing for students who have completed prerequisite courses and four semesters of nursing courses. Graduates are eligible to take the national licensing exam for registered nurses (NCLEX-RN) and to apply for state licensure as a registered nurse. Our program prepares students for beginning staff nursing positions and delivering nursing care to individuals and groups as members of a healthcare team to promote health and wellness.

Holder has been married to Bret for 24 years,  and is Mom to Jet, a Marine and sophomore Razorback; and Kate, a freshman Razorback. “Woo Pig!”

In her spare time she enjoys providing hospitality for others,  she said. “From our home to our restaurant, Pizza Republic, and this nursing department. I live to serve God, our family and friends, fellow military families, our staff, and nursing students.”

Her hometown is Kansas City, Missouri.

About the Nursing Program

The Fort Scott Community Nursing Department is located at 810 S. Burke.

The Fort Scott Community College Nursing Department offers students an Associate of Applied Science Degree in Nursing for students who have completed prerequisite courses and four semesters of nursing courses, according to the department’s website. Graduates are eligible to take the national licensing exam for registered nurses (NCLEX-RN) and to apply for state licensure as a registered nurse. The program prepares students for beginning staff nursing positions and delivering nursing care to individuals and groups as members of a healthcare team to promote health and wellness.

 

 

 

 

 

Entertainment, Fort Scott, Youth

Third Street Park Has New Playground Equipment

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New playground equipment was recently installed at Third Street Park.

Third Street Park is ready for the community to enjoy.

New children’s play equipment with mulching and new stairs leading to the ballpark on Third Street was recently completed.

“This is a $92,000 project that was funded by the Patterson Family Foundation, Blue Cross and Blue Shield Pathways to a Healthy Kansas, and a contribution from The City of Fort Scott,” Rachel Carpenter, director of the Healthy Bourbon Action Team (HBCAT), who is spearheading the project, said.

“The playground is open to the public!” she said.

Bouncers were part of the playground equipment installed at Third Street Park recently.

The need for Third Street Park’s improvement project was identified by the community through public forums, surveys, and a steering committee, according to Carpenter, in a prior press release.

A Building Up Our Neighborhoods Placemaking project has already repaired the bathrooms and existing structures, including the basketball goal. Last month stairs were made from the upper level of the park to the lower level.

Rachel Carpenter. Submitted photo. 2023

 

Community members were able to develop priorities that they wanted to see happen at the park, Carpenter said in a  prior press release. Those priorities:

  • Repairing the bathrooms
  • Repairing the existing structures
  • Repairing the basketball goal
  • Adding additional playground structures
  • Adding stairs

  • Tyler Sharp, Marbery Construction, Fort Scott, lays straw to prevent erosion following the building of the concrete stairs from the upper-level playground to the lower-level ball field at Third Street Park on Sept. 15.

“Fort Scott Kiwanis provided volunteers to fix the existing structures, the basketball goals, and paint the bathrooms,” she said. “The City of Fort Scott provided an additional $10,000 that will go towards fixing up the bathrooms, fixing the pavilion floor, and surfacing for the existing structures.”

‘We are still collaborating with the City of Fort Scott to update the fixtures of the bathroom and fix the pavilion floor,” Carpenter said.

Last week, Playscapes, Yates Center, installed the new playground structures and put down the rubber mulch surfacing.

The playground structures include a Temple Trolley, a Swizzler, and two bouncers.

A new piece of equipment at Third Street Park.
Bourbon County, Fort Scott

Scam Thwarted at Landmark Bank

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A recent fortscott.biz advertisement for a driver almost wrested money from a scam victim.

However, a trained teller at Landmark Bank stopped the transaction.

“This was a typical refund scam,” Gregg Motley, Southeast Kansas Regional Manager of Landmark Bank, said.  “The victim replied to the ad and a $6,000 check was sent to the person who responded. The check was from San Diego, from a Texas company, on a Colorado bank. The next day the person was asked to send him $2,000 to secure a rental car for the person to drive.”

The Landmark Teller Supervisor Kalia Lamb, caught the suspicious transaction, Motley said.

“The teller prohibited him taking the $2,000 out,” Motley said.  This was to see first if the $6,000 check was legitimate. “We spend time training our employees on scams,” he said.

“We got the check back, it did bounce,” Motley said.

His bank always reports scams to federal authorities.

When the advertiser wasn’t willing to provide additional information, his payment was refunded by fortscott.biz.

The ad was deleted and his contact information was removed from the fortscott.biz Facebook post.

“Refund scams are worth billions of dollars in the U.S.,”  Motley said.

“It’s good to get the word out about the scam,” said Fort Scott Chief of Police Jason Pickert. “To be aware this happened.”

Chief Pickert said he understood fortscott.biz’s position.

“You can’t vet everyone who purchases an ad,” Pickert said.

 

Romance Scams

The worst cases are romance scams, Motley said.

This is where people meet online and a relationship develops.

The victim is asked to send a large sum of money, say $2,000, so that, for example, the romantic interest can purchase an airline ticket to come and see the victim.

“We deal with it every week,” Motley said. “It’s very hurtful to people because emotions are involved.”