Category Archives: Business

Bourbon County, Business, Entertainment, Food, Fort Scott, History, Youth

Shead Farm Homestead Festival: Learning To Produce What You Need AND More

Leave a comment
Since the pandemic, many people have been looking at a lifestyle that includes purchasing local products and growing their food, or at the least, knowing nearby local producers.
The fourth annual Shead Farm Homestead Festival event will happen on May 18, southeast of Fort Scott. This educational and family-fun event has attempted to help those people.
Photo opportunities will be available at the festival. Submitted photo.
Homesteading is moving towards food security by means of producing one’s own animals and gardens.
Larry and Vickie Shead and their extended family have provided people with an event where people can gather tips on gardening, homesteading,  grafting fruit trees, beekeeping,  orchard care, and soap-making, and many others.
Vickie and Larry Shead, 2020, from her Facebook page.
This year over 50 vendors related to homesteading, along with family activities are scheduled.
Besides new vendors and activities, there will be a speakers’ tent where people can listen to a question and answer time on various homestead topics.
“A chapel is provided for those who may need prayer or just want some  Biblical insight,” Vickie said.
Over 150 volunteers have been working to create a memorable time, on Saturday, May 18, from 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.  Tickets are $5.00 each or $25.00 for a family of five or more.
“There will be good old fashion and exciting, memory-making events that young and old will not want to miss,” Vickie said.  “There are plenty of places to sit down and relax for a good visit with old friends and neighbors while watching the exciting activities taking place.”
Historical demonstrations to view: blacksmithing, broom making, butter making, wooden spoon making, leather working, rock wall building, and a weaver who demonstrates on an 1864 old barn wood loom, as well as showing how to spin. There will be a Model T Ford and a Model A Ford for viewing with early 1900s music playing on a Victrola nearby.
Educational vendors will share information on growing microgreens, making butter, washing clothes without electricity, creating with macrame, making goat milk soap, milking a cow, making jams and jellies, and creating pictures with pastels.  One can also learn about making pottery, sourdough bread, and how to harvest maple syrup.  And many beautiful quilts will be on display, she said.
“Children can enjoy the Children’s Center’s huge tent full of new, fun, educational, and exciting activities,” Vickie said.  “The little children can gather bugs in their bag and turn them in for a prize.  Face painting and a Story Station give a moment of rest for children. New this year will be a huge sand pile with treasures to find.  New, also a Kids’ Corner Store with many farm and educational toys.”
An Animal Arena displays donkeys, goats, dogs, cows, sheep, and a pig. Poultry will be roaming the area with peacocks, chickens, guineas, ducks, turkeys, and quail. Children and adults can learn the techniques of roping along with other fun animal activities, and additionally, there will be kittens, rabbits, and quail.
The Food Court has expanded to include pulled pork sandwiches, as well as the festival’s famous Walking Tacos, she said. Snacks are in abundance with kettle corn and homemade potato chips, cotton candy, and bakery bargains. Snack Shack items are dried candy fruits, and many other snacks.
“A variety of refreshing drinks will be available such as hot and cold coffees, cocoa; lemonade, and homemade refreshing root beer,” she said.
“Hope to see you all for this wonderful family and friend’s event,” she said.
An aerial view of the Shead Farm Homestead Festival. Submitted photo.
Business, Fort Scott, Jobs

Will’s Gutter Service: Outside Handyman

Leave a comment
Wills Gutter Service. Submitted photo.

William Billings has been mowing yards since he was a child growing up, and started with a push mower as a kid.

Now he has a truck, trailer, and a zero-turn mower, with chainsaws and weed eaters to tackle any job.

Will’s Gutter Service provides weed eater service. Submitted photo.

He has over 15 years of experience mowing and worked for LACO Seamless Gutters for four years as a gutter specialist until the company shut down, he said.

Billings started Will’s Gutter Service last year in Fort Scott.

“The services I provide for the community are mowing yards, gutter cleanouts, gutter inspections and maintenance, tree trimming, leaf and debris clean up,” he said.

 

William Billings, the owner of Will’s Gutter Service, mows a yard. Submitted photo.
To contact Billings call 620-418-3491.
Billings started the business last year to make extra money for his family, he said.
He is a Turner High School graduate from K.C., Kansas.
William Billings is the owner of Will’s Gutter Service and has four years of experience in gutter clean-outs, inspections, and maintenance. Submitted photo.
Business, Fort Scott, History

Adamson’s Celebrate 20th Anniversary of Courtland Hotel Ownership

Leave a comment
Frank and Cheryl Adamson from her Facebook page.

Frank and Cheryl Adamson are celebrating 20 years as hoteliers in Fort Scott.

They purchased the Courtland Hotel, at First and Scott Avenue in the historic district of Fort Scott in 2004.

The hotel is located at  121 E. First St, Fort Scott.

“We purchased the historic hotel here in downtown Fort Scott to expand Cheryl’s day spa business,” Frank said. “She started doing massage therapy as a side gig that grew into the need for additional space. We utilize around 2,500 square feet of the hotel’s ground floor, for the Courtland Spa and Salon.” They employ seven people.

The Courtland Spa door is west of the main door of the hotel at 121 E. First.

“There have been so many things that have blessed us in ownership and operating the historic hotel in downtown Fort Scott it’s hard to pick out one thing,” he said. “Seeing and being part of the resurgence of downtown has been amazing. We have developed an appreciation for downtown’s impact on the community, what Fort Scott’s history is, and the impact it made on Western expansion. The historic hotel of course is a functioning hotel, circa 1906. With guests coming from all over the world to see it and stay in it. We get to share some of the local history and make a new friend.”

History of the Courtland

The Courtland Hotel was built in 1906 to accommodate people using the railroad traffic through the town.

The plaque on the  Courtland Hotel notes there was an Adams and Pacific Express Co., a tailor shop, the Cooper Restaurant, and a boarding house at one time housed in the building.

But today it offers a day spa that includes massage therapy service, a hair salon and manicures/pedicures, and internet service for its customers.

The Courtland Hotel, 121 E. First.

The hotel was recently featured in Kansas Magazine as a historic Kansas hotel, here are a few excerpts from that article:

“The first 50 to 60 years of this business, the lodging was essentially for men only,” Frank says, adding the hotel mostly housed railroad engineers and brakemen who brought the trains into town, spent the night, and reported back to work to replace the crews coming in on returning trains the next day. “The guys staying in these hotels were the same guys all the time.

“The building was originally constructed with six storefronts on the first floor to accommodate retail and wholesale businesses; the upper level had lodging rooms and a tailor shop. When the number of trains declined, the hotel eventually was used as a dormitory for a flight school before slipping into darkness.

“Seeing its potential, the Adamsons awakened the building from its sleep. Today, its exterior remains as it looked in 1906, and the lobby inside retains its 14-foot tin ceilings and other architectural features. Guests and local residents enjoy the main level’s 2,500-square-foot, full-service day spa the couple added in a way that maintains the unique building’s historical significance,” according to the Kansas Magazine article.

 

 

 

 

Business, Fort Scott

The Green Lantern Speakeasy Debuts This Month In Downtown Fort Scott

5 Comments
The Green Lantern speakeasy bar, at 110 S. Main, the former Scottish Rite Temple. Submitted photos.

A new business venture, in the former Scottish Rite Temple, is unique to Fort Scott.

A speakeasy bar was opened by Kathy and Tracy Dancer this month.
 One hundred years ago the government tried to ban alcoholic beverages.
In  1919, Congress ratified the 18th Amendment, banning the manufacture, sale, and transport of alcoholic beverages. However, there were no provisional funds for anything beyond token enforcement, according to https://www.atf.gov/our-history/timeline/18th-amendment-1919-national-prohibition-act
“Speakeasy was a term used during Prohibition for drinking establishments and illegal bars,” said Kathy Dancer, owner of the
new Fort Scott speakeasy.  “They were usually hidden away in a building and sometimes you needed a password to be allowed to enter.  Fort Scott had several speakeasies including The Green Lantern, operated by J.D. McClintock.”
Kathy is the owner and her husband Tracy is the operations manager.
Tracy and Kathy Dancer at the entrance to 110 S. Main. The Green Lantern is on the second floor of the building.
“In recent years, speakeasies (although no longer illegal) have become popular again,” she said.  “Some are just regular bars while others are much more elaborate and keep the original spirit of the historic Prohibition-era speakeasies.”
The Dancers, Kathy and Tracy, purchased the old Scottish Rite Temple building at 110 S. Main a few years ago.
They added a retail shop, then a cafe and now are venturing into a speakeasy bar.
“These really are labors of love and we enjoy sharing them with the community,” Kathy said.
“110 South Main was originally constructed in the early 1920s, during the Prohibition era,” she said. “We thought a speakeasy would be a great fit as an additional business for the space.  It’s also an opportunity to bring something very unique to Fort Scott.  We have named the speakeasy The Green Lantern, after the original Fort Scott speakeasy.”
A conversation area at the Green Lantern. Submitted photos. One can see the lighted Main Street in downtown Fort Scott out the windows. Submitted photos.
The Green Lantern will be located inside the 110 South Main building on the second floor.
“The Green Lantern honors the tradition of speakeasies from the 1920s while adding some modern touches,” she said. “We will serve premium cocktails and Kansas-produced wines.  The speakeasy space has a very historic look and vibe with 1920s music and occasional visits from flapper girls and gangsters.  Patrons will need a password to get in.  Clues for the password will be posted on the speakeasy Facebook page: Green Lantern Partners LTD.”
To view the Facebook page:
A conversation area at The Green Lantern. Submitted photos.
The space has already been used for private events and the Dancers are doing several previews/soft opening on evenings in April.

“We have not established set days and times yet but we will post them on the Facebook page,” she said.

Bourbon County, Business, Fort Scott

Significant Grants Are Available for Solar Energy For Bourbon County Businesses

Leave a comment
Daniel Zywietz and son, Noah on a recent solar installation in Chanute. submitted photo.

If you own a business in Bourbon County and selected other counties in rural Kansas, you can apply for a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) grant and get up to 50% off the cost of solar panels.

Add the 50% federal tax credits available for renewable energy installations in Bourbon County, and a business owner could get a solar system for nearly free, according to Daniel Zywietz, founder of SEK Solar, Chanute.

SEK Solar designs and installs solar systems and also helps with the grant application, allowing business owners to drastically reduce their utility bills, he said.

Before starting SEK Solar, Zywietz founded and ran Enerwhere, the Middle East’s largest rooftop installation company and one of the world’s largest microgrid operators. The company started as a provider of temporary power services to the construction industry in 2012 and quickly expanded into the commercial rooftop solar market in Dubai, building over 45 MW of solar over 10 years, including the world’s second-largest solar rooftop system at the time, covering an area of more than 23 football fields, he said

He ended up in the Middle East as a management consultant working for Booz & Company, a spin-off of Booz Allen Hamilton, and one of the best-known management consulting companies worldwide.

With his wife (who is originally from Humboldt, KS) looking to move home after the COVID-pandemic, Zywietz started to look into the solar market in Kansas and was astonished to find that there were hardly any solar panels installed, despite the clear and sunny skies and large open spaces. With over $1 billion in grant funds for solar and energy efficiency available to agricultural and rural small business owners under the USDA’s Rural Energy for America (REAP) program, Zywietz and his wife decided to set up a solar company to service local business owners.

What made the opportunity even more exciting was that the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), passed in 2022, not only refilled the REAP program, which had been running for 10 years with much lower funding levels, but also significantly improved the Federal tax credits available to rural Kansans, according to Zywietz.

According to the EPA website, the credits are structured in three separate buckets, according to information from Zywietz. The 30% base tax credit is available to anyone wanting to install a solar system at the business or home, anywhere in the US. A further 10% “Low-Income Community” bonus is available to projects in disadvantaged areas. (Bourbon County, together with most of South-East Kansas, qualifies). Finally, there is another 10% “Energy Community Bonus” available to areas that previously hosted coal mines or coal-fired power plants, and again, Bourbon County qualifies, according to a map provided by the Department of Energy. Added together, the tax credits can add up to 50% for a renewable energy project in Fort Scott and the surrounding area.

While the tax credits don’t require any special application process, the REAP grants do. It all starts with checking whether a business’s location is eligible based on the USDA’s Property Eligibility site, says Zywietz.

The USDA defines a rural area as an area with a population of less than 50,000 people. The second criterion is the business size. The small business size standard is based on either annual revenue or the number of employees, depending on a North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code, which is used by federal agencies to classify businesses by industry type, according to http://kansasenergyprogram.org/assessments/REAP-OverviewFAQ

This generally means that if a business has less than $10 million in revenue or less than 100 employees and is a for-profit business, such as a restaurant, hair salon, retail business, or farm business, the owner is eligible to apply, Zywietz said.

“It’s a tedious grant application process,” he said. “The smallest grants of up to $20,000 have a nearly 100% approval rate because $200 million were set aside for these small projects and there aren’t enough applications, as most small business owners find it too time-consuming to fill in all of the forms. Larger grants, which can go up to $1 million, compete with other projects based on a scoring system, so getting the grant application right can make a big difference to the chance of approval. The next application deadline is June 30th.”

“It’s a big opportunity for rural business owners to lower their utility bills and go green. And while filling in government paperwork can be frustrating, I think it’s only fair for them to check if your business is legitimate before they hand you what is essentially free money. I’m happy to answer any questions on solar or the USDA REAP grants and the IRA tax credits as well,” Zywietz said.

To learn more about SEK Solar visit the website at http://seksolar.com

Zywietz can be reached at 720.940.3946 or email: [email protected].

Zywietz will be in  Dubai for two weeks at the end of April.
“I’m mostly done with the handover to the new Enerwhere CEO and summers in Dubai are pretty miserable anyways,” he said.
To view a feature he wrote:

 

Zywietz plans to attend the Fort Scott Chamber Coffee meetings on Thursday mornings at 8 a.m. to answer questions from business owners., he said.

 

The Kansas Energy Program is also available to assist you through the entire REAP grant application process, according to its website.

 

A small project Zywietz has completed in Chanute, photo from SEK Solar Facebook page.

 

Bourbon County, Business, Food, Fort Scott

The Farmers Market Vendors Meeting Starts the 2024 Season This Evening

Leave a comment
Tomatoes for sale at Fort Scott Farmers Market in 2018.

After several years of planning and execution, the Fort Scott Farmers Market will be under the new pavilion on North National Avenue on May 4.

Tonight is the first vendor’s meeting of the season. This meeting is for returning vendors and anyone interested in becoming a vendor in 2024, Teri Hamilton, president of Fort Scott Farmers Market said.

Teri Hamilton. Submitted photo.

The meeting is at the Healthy Bourbon County Action Team office at 104 N. National Avenue,  across the street from the pavilion, from 6-8 p.m.

At tonight’s meeting, there will be introductions,  information about market guidelines, applications, and fees “and a time to get to know each other a little better,” she said.

Vendors are not just farmers, “but we give preference to farmers and agriculture businesses,” Hamilton said.

“There are also baked goods and craft vendors,” she said. “We have 15 returning vendors.”

“We have space for up to 24 under the pavilion,” Hamilton said.

“The vendors will park in the parking spaces under the pavilion and the customers will go around to each vendor in the parking stall,” she said.

If more than that number of vendors want to be a part of the market, the vendor spaces will have to be reconfigured, and will be thoroughly discussed, she said.

The Farmers Market Committee comprises Hamilton, owner of Hamilton’s Artisan Bakery, as president; Ethan Holly, treasurer,  of Still Waters Farm; and Leanna Cain, secretary, of Sweet County Farms.

Vendors pay $5 a week for a vendor space, and if payment is given for the whole year, it is $4 a week, she said.

The market is open on Tuesdays from 4-6 p.m. and Saturdays from 8 a.m. to noon, starting on May 4 and continuing until the end of October.

There is a Healthy Bourbon County Action Team workshop on April 15 that will focus on how to get a license to sell at a farmers market, food laws and food safety.

“We want our vendors to have access to that resource,” she said.

Hamilton said the group is so thankful for the new space.

“The pavilion is so wonderful,” she said. “We are so thankful for the project and all the fundraising that took place and they didn’t have to give us the priority,” she said.

On opening day, May 4, there will be a ribbon cutting, live music and speakers for the pavilion’s first farmers market, Hamilton said. The Bourbon County Garden Club always has a live plant sale on the first day of the market season as well.

For more information, call Hamilton at 816-491-7884.

To see the latest on the Fort Scott Farmers Market:

https://www.facebook.com/fsfma

A view of a 2017 Fort Scott Farmers Market on Skubitz Plaza.
Area News, Business

Kansans Can Win a Free Tree in Celebration of Safe Digging Month

Leave a comment

 

Kansas Gas Service Promotes Safety and a Greener Community

 

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. – April 2, 2024 – April typically marks the start of the spring planting season, home improvement projects and large-scale excavations. It’s also National Safe Digging Month, and Kansas Gas Service asks residents to commit to always digging safely. As a bonus, participants will have a chance to win a free tree.

 

“As a utility company dedicated to safety and environmental responsibility, we recognize the importance of safe digging practices,” says Trey Pool, manager of public awareness and damage prevention for ONE Gas, the parent company of Kansas Gas Service. “With our pledge challenge and tree giveaway, we hope to not only emphasize the importance of contacting 811 before digging but also to contribute to a healthier community.”

 

Dig Hero Tree Giveaway

Kansas residents can prioritize safety by taking the 2024 Safe Digging Pledge at beadigherokansas.com, and recognizing the need to contact 811 before their shovels or excavating equipment hits the ground – regardless of the size of digging project. After taking the pledge, they are automatically entered into a random drawing to win a free tree in partnership with the Arbor Day Foundation, the largest nonprofit membership organization dedicated to planting trees in the U.S.

 

New this year, winners of the tree giveaway contest will pick the tree they wish to plant and receive information about energy savings gained from their tree.

 

Why Contact 811?

With any digging project, whether planting a tree or repairing a sprinkler system, there is a high probability of underground facilities below the site, such as natural gas pipelines, electric cables or water lines. The best way to avoid damage and injury or loss of service is to contact 811 at least two full working days before digging to learn the approximate location of buried facilities in your area. By calling 811 or submitting a request at Kansas811.com, professional locators will mark the underground facilities within the designated project area with flags and/or paint at no cost to the home or business owner. Once the project is marked, be aware of the tolerance zone: 2 feet on either side of the pipe. Hand or soft dig techniques should be used within this area.

 

Learn more about safe digging and take the pledge at beadigherokansas.com for your chance to win a free tree.

 

 

Digital Toolkit: Access b-roll, Safe Digging Month flyer and graphics here.

 

 

About Kansas Gas Service

Kansas Gas Service provides a reliable and affordable energy choice to more than 647,000 customers in Kansas and is the largest natural gas distributor in the state in terms of customers. Headquartered in Overland Park, Kansas Gas Service is a division of ONE Gas, Inc. (NYSE: OGS), a 100-percent regulated natural gas utility that trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “OGS.” ONE Gas is included in the S&P MidCap 400 Index and is one of the largest natural gas utilities in the United States. For more information and the latest news about Kansas Gas Service, visit kansasgasservice.com and follow its social channels: @KansasGas, Facebook, Nextdoor, LinkedIn and YouTube.

 

About the Arbor Day Foundation

The Arbor Day Foundation is the world’s largest membership nonprofit organization dedicated to planting trees with a focus in communities and forests of greatest need. The Foundation — alongside its more than 1 million members, supporters and valued partners — is committed to unlocking the power of trees to help solve critical issues facing people and the planet. Learn more about the impact of the Arbor Day Foundation at arborday.org.

 

 

 

Business, Fort Scott, Fort Scott Chamber of Commerce

Downtown Meet and Greet: Many Activities Are Planned

Leave a comment
John Hill speaks to the Downtown Quarterly Meet and Greet this morning.

The Fort Scott Quarterly Downtown Meet and Greet met today at City State Bank, 202 Scott Avenue, to share projects and happenings in the downtown area.

The bank has been locally owned and has operated in Fort Scott since 1920, and chose to keep a presence in the downtown area,  John Hill, president said as he welcomed the group to the facility for this meeting.

Some of the announcements from the meeting:

The Fort Scott National Historic Site has a Solar Eclipse Program planned on April 8. Also, this month is its annual Civil War Encampment Weekend on April 20-21. In addition, there will be a Civil War Dance at Memorial Hall on April 20.

Special retailers events coming up: July 13-Christmas In July, August 2-4 is the sales tax holiday, September 12-Fall Fest from 5-8 p.m., October 26 is the Downtown Halloween Parade, November 7-9 is the Holiday Open House with the main kickoff on Thursday from 5-8 p.m. and December 6-7- the stores stay open for Christmas On The Bricks event.

The Fort Scott Downtown Cleanup is April 22 from 4-6 p.m. with a light dinner provided to volunteers by local downtown restaurants at the Pavilion on North National Avenue. Contact Bailey Lyons, Lyon’s Realty Group to volunteer, this with planning the projects and supplies. Any skill-level worker is invited to help. If business owners provide the plants, there will be help planting them that day.  A group of artists is organized to paint a mural that day.

Veterans Banners to be placed on downtown light poles will be for sale (for $300 each) as a fundraiser for new seasonal banners. The veteran’s banners feature the name and face of a local veteran. The banners will be placed for a week on the poles during the Memorial Day, Independence Day, and Veterans Day holidays. Contact the Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce for more information.

The new Welcome to Fort Scott Banner is nearing completion with electricity added and lights that will be placed on the columns. There will be a ribbon cutting sometime soon for the new downtown feature.

The Home, Sport, Farm, and Garden Show is this Saturday at Fort Scott Community College’s Arnold Arena from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The annual Chamber dinner is on April 18 with the theme of Boots and Bling. There is a contest for decorated seating tables and a live and silent auction, and the community is invited to attend. The Chamber is still taking award nominations online under [email protected] or printed forms.

The annual Town-wide Garage Sale is May 3-4.

Opening day of the Fort Scott Farmers Market is May 4 from 8 a.m. to noon under the new Pavilion on North National Avenue.

Good Ol’ Days this year is May 31 and June 1. The parade theme is “Where Our History Comes To Life.” Retailers wanting to register for a booth at fortscottgoodoldays.com

Grants are available through E-Community for 6% for 10 years, $5,000 maximum, and Grow KS for 4% for five years, 6% for 10 years, and $100,000 max. Contact the Chamber for more details.

Diane Striler presented a petition to sign for a skating rink proposal for next winter, including the Christmas On The Bricks event. She is going to the Fort Scott City Commission this evening at 6 p.m. to ask for permission to use the Pavilion for the skating rink since it is covered, will have a bathroom available, and is handicapped accessible. The proposal is for the rink to be offered from Thanksgiving to February – March. The $36,000 rink has had an offer that will pay for one-half the costs and with grants and donations, the rink should be paid for, she said. It comes with 60 pairs of skates and the cost to skate will be $5.

There is still a need for a trolley driver for the Chamber, that has to have a CDL with passenger endorsement.

Some of the attendees of the Downtown Meet and Greet this morning.

 

Bourbon County, Business, Fort Scott, Health Care, Youth

Kansas Renewal Institute Repurposes Mercy Hospital

Leave a comment

 

KRI President of Operations Joe Tinervin, MSW, stands in the intake room’s doorway near the former hospital’s west entrance.

The western part and administration portion of the former Fort Scott Mercy Hospital is in the process of renovation.

Kansas Renewal Institute, located at 401 Woodland Hills Blvd. is a behavioral healthcare center specializing in treating adults and adolescents. The building has approximately 120,000 square feet.

JG Healthcare Solutions is the parent company that owns K.R.I.

The institute administrators e are Jonathan Gross, Chief Executive Officer; T.J. Denning, Chief Operating Officer, Erik Engebretson, Chief Financial Officer, Joe Tinervin, President of Operations and and Mike Sharpmack, Executive Director.

Kansas Renewal Institute President of Operations Joe Tinervin stands in the southern hall of the former Mercy Hospital.

This group of men has worked together at Universal Health Services, Acadia Healthcare, and most recently Discovery Behavioral Health.

“We worked for years together, but towards the end of our time at Discovery, we said we could do this ourselves, help a lot of people and have fun along the way,” Tinervin said.

“The whole idea is to provide safe, effective care that promotes successful outcomes,” he said. “We hope to have a staff environment where people love to come to work.”

K.R.I. will open with 82 licensed beds across four units. The State of Kansas has told Tinervin that the licensure process will be finished by April 15.

Joe Tinervin shows a patient room that is being made ready for patients.

There is a 50-bed adolescent psychiatric residential treatment facility,  with two units, one for males, and one for females.

K.R. I. President of Operations Joe TInervin gives a tour on March 26, 2024, of the new facility. This is a portion of the adolescent unit.

These units are located in the former maternity unit and adjacent hall on the north wing of the building.

The former maternity unit will be used for adolescent residential services at K.R.I. Joe Tinervin stands at the door between that unit and the hall. To the left is one of the many contractors working inside the building in anticipation of the April opening of the facility.

In addition, there are 32 beds in two units for adults: one for adult residential services and one for detoxification services.

This is a wing of the adult residential services unit at K.R.I., down the hall to the left is the detox unit. Work is still being done to prepare for the opening of the institute in April 2024.

The detox unit is located in the former intensive care area of the hospital with the adult residential services in the hall just adjacent.

The former Intensive care unit of Mercy Hospital is now the detox unit of Kansas Recovery Institute.
A view of the two corridors in the former waiting room of the emergency department at 401 Woodland Hills Blvd. in  March 2024. The steps in the middle lead down to the cafeteria which will be for residents only, and won’t be open to the community.

“We have thrown a significant amount into the renovation so far,” Tinervin said. “Flooring, paint, equipment,  and furniture,” he said.

“It’s all happening right now as we get the units ready to go,” he said.

“The State of Kansas has a significant waitlist,” he said. “We will be servicing residents from all over Kansas, not just southeast Kansas.”

“The state was here last week, and licensure might take until April 15,” he said.

“Our job is to reintegrate people back into their home communities,” he said. “If someone is from another place, they will return.”

“We are not opening with an outpatient level of care…only residential,” Tinervin said. “When and if we build an outpatient level of care, patients from the Fort Scott area will be able to commute for services while those who live outside of the Fort Scott area will be transitioning home and will have the opportunity to participate in KRI Outpatient services remotely through a virtual telehealth platform.”

In the administrative portion of the K.R. I. is this multi-purpose room which is currently being used for training employees and will be used for classrooms for residential adolescents in the future. Pictured is a training session.

K.R.I. will be collaborating with USD 234.

 

“We are excited about the partnership we are developing with Unified School District 234,” Tinervin said.  “As part of this partnership, Unified School District 234 is committed to providing general and special education services to KRI residents within school age. These services will be provided on-site at Kansas Renewal Institute and the programming provided will be individualized according to the educational needs and levels of each student served at the KRI.”

 

To view job opportunities at KRI:

AD: Kansas Recovery Institute Is Hiring For All Positions

This is the reception desk of the Kansas Recovery Institute at 401 Woodland Hills.

Once licensure arrives, people can make appointments at 620-644-1195 and they will also take walk-ins, Tinervin said.

The KRI Team photo, taken last Thursday at the end of orientation. Back Row from left to right: Joe Tinervin, President of Operations; Christopher Edwards, BHT; Lori Storm, Lead Case Manager; Dylan Pike, Nurse; Mark Steward, BHT Supervisor; Mike Sharpmack, Executive Director; Jay Abbott, Director of Quality Improvement and Risk Management; Jaymie Murphy, Nurse
Front Row from left to right: Sheila Guinn-Peters, Admissions; Sheila Nami, Admissions; Pamela Johnson, Nurse; Mary Wilson, CMA; Candice Wyatt, BHT; Jessica Whitley, BHT; Tracy Serna, BHT Lead; JoDanna Simon, DON; Makenzie Brown, BHT; Stefani Brown, Nurse; and Jessica Allison, Clinical Director
*acronym key: BHT: Behavioral Health Technician; DON: Director of Nursing; CMT: Certified Medical Technician. Submitted photo.

 

The K.R.I. website: www.kansasrenewal.com

401 Woodland Hills Blvd.

Also housed at 401-405 Woodland Hills Blvd.: Southeast Kansas Mental Health Center, Ashley (Medical) Clinic, Care to Share (cancer family support group), I Am Rehab( physical therapy/fitness center), Regional Economic Development Inc., and Diamonds In The Marketplace ( a beauty salon).

Business, Fort Scott, Government

Niece Products of Kansas, Inc. Awarded Energy Efficient Improvement Grant from U.S. Dept. of Agriculture

Leave a comment
Niece of Ks. Inc., 3904 Liberty Bell Road.

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development Kansas State Director Christy Davis today announced $1,809,677 in investments in renewable energy and efficiency projects to lower costs, generate new income and create jobs for Kansas farmers, ranchers, and rural small businesses.

“USDA is committed to ensuring rural Kansas is benefitting from the clean energy economy,” Davis said. “These investments will expand access to renewable energy while creating good-paying jobs and saving Kansas communities and businesses money.”

The details of the Kansas projects are:

  • A $189,554 grant will help purchase and install 45.6 kW and 107.5 kW solar arrays for Concrete Service Co. Inc. in Barton and Ellis counties. This project will generate 225,623 kWh per year, enough to power 20 homes and save $19,628 per year.
  • A $39,532 grant will help purchase and install energy efficient improvements including new HVAC systems, resized ducting, heaters, and a waste oil heater for Niece Products of Kansas Inc in Fort Scott. The project is expected to save 1,943,100 cubic feet of natural gas, 1,160 gallons of diesel, and 85,293 kWh of electricity, the energy equivalent of powering 65 homes. The project is expected to save the company $41,037 per year in fuel, gas, and electricity costs.
  • A $62,027 grant will help purchase and install a 34 kW solar photovoltaic renewable energy system for Route 66 Hardware of Baxter Springs. The project is expected to generate 45,594 kWh per year, enough to power four homes and save the company $6,233 per year in electrical costs.
  • A $181,925 grant will help purchase and install three rooftop solar photovoltaic renewable energy systems, an 83 kW and two 17 kW systems, for American Bank at their Baxter Springs and Galena locations. The project is expected to replace 174,829 kWh per year, enough to power 16 homes and save the company $28,369 per year in electrical costs.
  • A $219,284 grant will help purchase and install two solar photovoltaic renewable energy systems, a 72.80 kW system and an 84.24 kW system, for US Assets Recovery LLC of Galena. The project is expected to generate 216,915 kWh per year, enough to power 20 homes. The project is expected to save the company $35,220 per year in electrical costs.
  • A $9,360 grant will help purchase and install a 6.24 kW solar photovoltaic renewable energy system for Brian Jordan’s commercial property management business in Galena. The project is expected to replace 8,395 kWh per year and save the company $1,352 per year in electrical costs.
  • A $16,380 grant will help purchase and install a 10.92 kW solar photovoltaic renewable energy system for Liberty Hall LLC of Galena. The project is expected to replace 17,009 kWh per year and save the company $2,450 per year in electrical costs.
  • A $20,659 grant will help purchase and install a 14.08 kW solar photovoltaic renewable energy system for Clark Repair of Baldwin City. The project is expected to replace 20,697 kWh per year, enough to power two homes and save the company $2,621 per year in electrical costs.
  • A $51,250 grant will help purchase and install a 41 kW solar array for Hi-Plain Farm Equipment Inc. of Dodge City. This project will generate 55,068 kWh per year, enough to power five homes and save $3,870 per year.
  • A $156,183 grant will help purchase and install a 137.16 kW solar array for Blake Koehn, an ag producer in Grant County. This project will produce 250,279 kWh per year, enough electricity to power 23 homes.
  • A $21,734 grant will help purchase and install a 15.96 kW solar array for Rick’s Auto Repair LLC in Gray County. This project will generate 27,415 kWh per year, enough electricity to power two homes.
  • A $22,028 grant will help purchase and install a 114.72 kW solar array for Country Feeds Co. in Gray County. This project will produce 184,860 kWh per year, enough electricity to power 17 homes.
  • A $70,565 grant will help purchase and install a 60.48 kW solar array for Nichols Ironworks LLC in Haskell County. This project will produce 89,498 kWh per year, enough electricity to power eight homes.
  • A $46,966 grant will help purchase and install three solar photovoltaic renewable energy system rated at 6.32 kW, 10.66 kW, and 15.40 kW for RVH Properties LLC of Dennis. The project is expected to replace 71,585 kWh per year, enough to power seven homes and save the company $5,599 per year in electrical costs.
  • A $60,494 grant will help purchase and install a 34.1 kW solar photovoltaic renewable energy system for Summit Center LLC of Emporia. The project is expected to replace 54,287 kWh per year, enough to power five homes and save the company $7,744 per year in electrical costs.
  • A $68,957 grant will help purchase and install a 59.2 kW solar array for Rusty Feather LLC of Canton. The project is estimated to replace 74,896 kWh per year, enough energy to power seven homes.
  • A $12,187 grant will help purchase and install a 7.5 kW solar photovoltaic renewable energy system for Ports Farms LLC of Chanute. The project is expected to replace 10,030 kWh per year, enough to power one home. The project is expected to save the company $1,522 per year in electrical costs.
  • A $106,850 grant will help purchase and install an 81 kW and 40 kW solar arrays for Fusion Bank of Pratt and Larned. The project is estimated to replace 180,047 kWh per year, enough energy to power 16 homes.
  • A $110,625 grant help purchase and install an 80 kW and 31 kW solar arrays for Mix-America Redi-Mix Inc. of Hutchinson and Lyons. The project is estimated to replace 65,060 kWh per year, enough energy to power six homes.
  • A $61,745 grant will help purchase and install a 40 kW solar array for Hutchinson Transportation Company Inc. of Hutchinson. The project is estimated to replace 65,060 kWh per year, enough energy to power six homes.
  • A $56,540 grant will help purchase and install a 47 kW solar array for Custer County Concrete Inc. of Great Bend. The project is estimated to replace 54,199 kWh per year, enough energy to power five homes.
  • A $67,717 grant will help purchase and install a 75 kW solar array for Doug Bradley Trucking Inc. of Salina. The project is estimated to replace 97,201 kWh per year, enough energy to power nine homes.
  • A $78,250 grant will help purchase and install a 25 kW wind turbine for St. Francis Feed Yard LLC in Sherman County. This project will generate 123,965 kWh per year, enough electricity to power 11 homes and save $8,895 per year.
  • A $34,750 grant will help purchase and install a 21.4 kW solar array for Ricky Totten, an agricultural producer in Oxford. The project is estimated to replace 29,494 kWh per year, enough energy to power two homes.
Business, Fort Scott, Government, Kansas

New DCF Building Exterior Framework Is Going Up

1 Comment

 

Piles of dirt lay in the new parking spaces of the Kansas Dept. of Children and Families building that is being created at Wall  Street and National Avenue. This view is looking southwest from Wall Street.

The exterior framework began on March 22, on the new Kansas Department of Children and Families building project at Wall Street and National Avenue.

If all goes well, the completion date is July 2024, said Mike Anders, job supervisor of Silverrock Ventures.

The 13,000-square-foot building will house offices, several conference rooms, interview rooms, a large central file room,  reception/waiting areas, break rooms, and storage spaces. There is a storm shelter built into the plan.

Kendall Schoenrock, owner, and developer of Silverrock Ventures who is building the new office space for the KDCF, spent time in making the facade of the building fit in with downtown Fort Scott, Anders said.

The east side of the building is on National Avenue.

“It will have a red brick face and a limestone three-foot starter around the bottom of the east and north side,” Anders said. “It will have a different roof to fit in with downtown. It will have outside lighting like that of E3 Ranch, right across the street.”

There will be parking on the north side of the building, on Wall Street,  which the building will face. They are also leasing parking spaces from the City of Fort Scott for some parking west of the building, on the south side of that lot.

There is a whole slate of tradesmen lined up for the work ahead: electrical, plumbing, HVAC, concrete, framing, masonry, and painting, Anders said.

Skitches Hauling and Excavation, Inc., Fort Scott, was the demolition contractor for the building site.

“He supplied all of our backfill and got our job site ready to build on,” Anders said. “A great guy.”

“We tried to use local contractors,” he said. “A  lot are from a 30-mile radius approximately.”

Silverrock Ventures will do the interior finishing he said.

Wall and National Avenue is the sight of the new building for housing the Kansas Department of Children and Families. The building is currently in the exterior framework stage of the project.

About DCF

The Kansas Department for Children and Families is available to assist​ with child care and child support, employment education and training, food and cash assistance, support for youth who have experienced foster care, and more.

For further information about services to the community:

https://www.dcf.ks.gov/services/Pages/default.aspx

 

If you suspect a child or vulnerable adult is being harmed emotionally, physically, or sexually, report it to the Kansas Protection Report Center 24/7 at 1-800-922- 5330 ​or online.