Monthly Archives: June 2020

Bourbon County, K-State Extension

Get Your Free Credit Report Weekly

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Joy Miller, RD, LD
Family and Consumer Science Extension Agent
Adult Development and Aging
Family Resource Management
K-State Research and Extension
Southwind Extension District
210 S. National
Fort Scott, KS 66701
Office: 620-223-3720
Fax: 620-223-0332
[email protected]

It is now easier than ever to check your credit report for free on a weekly basis. Due to the COVID- 19 pandemic economic issues, CARES Act Federal Loan forbearance, and fraud, the three national credit reporting agencies are allowing people to access their reports more often than once a year.

Staying on top of your credit report is a key part of being financially responsible. Credit reports show in detail all credit usage and payment activity. When you review your report, the activity should look familiar. If it doesn’t, the activity should be investigated further.

Your credit rating means more than whether or not you care able to open a credit card. It can sometimes determine if you get a good or a great interest rate on your next home or car purchase or get a loan at all. It can also be a deciding factor on whether you can rent or not.

Credit inquiries, also known as ‘pulls’, can impact your credit score. The inquiry section of your credit report is divided into two subsections: hard and soft. When your credit report is accessed with your consent from the credit reporting agencies, this is known as a hard pull. This kind of inquiry signals a financial event where money is needed and shopping for credit. A hard pull within the past 12 months can influence your score by up to 10 points.

To maintain a consistent score, you will need to manage your hard pulls. That means spacing requests out rather than make multiple ones at the same time. A best practice is to do your research before applying.

A soft inquiry involves the same type of information as a hard pull, but it is not tied to a particular application and it can be done without your consent. Soft pulls have no effect on your credit score and lenders disregard this information. An example of this is a pre-approved credit offer or when your bank checks to see if they will increase your credit.

Checking your credit report is considered a soft pull. Until April 2021, you can pull your credit report from Experian, TransUnion, and Equifax weekly. These free reports are available at AnnualCreditReport.com.

K-State Research and Extensions is offering Check Your Credit e-mail program, reminding participants to obtain their free credit report and provide educational tips throughout the year. You can register for this program at bit.ly/ksrecheckyourcredit. For more information, please contact Joy Miller at [email protected] or by calling 620-223-3720. Follow us on Facebook @southwindextensiondistrict.

 

Bourbon County

American Legion Update

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The American Legion’s success depends entirely on active membership, participation and volunteerism. The following monthly reports provide a summary of membership, participation and volunteerism making an impact in the lives of veterans, families and communities.

American Legion Posts can share the many ways Legionnaires are making a difference in their communities.  

To view the impact American Legion posts made throughout the year, please read the attached May 2020 membership impact report.

Carl Jowers. Post 25 Commander.

American Legion May Impact Report

Opinion

Neighbors by Pastor James Colllins

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“And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself.”

Luke 10:27

A certain white woman went down from Fort Scott, Kansas to Joplin, Missouri, and ran over a nail which punctured her tire and left her stranded by the side of the road. After raising the hood of her car and tying a scarf to her radio antenna, she locked the door handles and sat in the car, praying for the Lord to send help.

By chance, there came a limousine that way with a bumper sticker that read, “Smile, God Loves You!” When the white occupants saw the stranded woman, they passed by in the far lane-without smiling.

And likewise, there came a sports car with a bumper sticker saying, “Honk If You Love Jesus!” The white man who was driving passed by in the far lane without honking and without using his cell phone to call the Highway Patrol about the woman’s dilemma.

But a certain black working man, as he traveled to his job, came to the spot where the woman was, and, when he saw her raised hood, scarf, and flat tire, he had compassion on her. He stopped his old beat-up pickup-which had no bumper sticker-and crossed the highway and offered to change the flat.

The white woman was anxious at the stranger’s presence, but she rolled her window down just a crack and gave him the key to the trunk. The black man took out the spare tire, jacked up the car, removed the flat, and replaced it with the spare. When he finished, the woman tried to pay him. He refused the money, saying, “If my wife were stranded on the highway with a flat tire, I’d want some Good Samaritan to stop and help her out.” The man nodded his head and returned to his bumper sticker-less truck. As he drove away, he smiled and waved at the woman.

Which of these three was neighbor unto her who had a flat tire?

The senseless murder of George Floyd has brought the issue of race relations back into the national spotlight. Let’s be clear, every person of good conscience should be angered over Floyd’s death. So too, should every person of good conscience be angered over the violence, rioting, and loss of lives that have plagued our nation since Floyd’s homicide. How does creating more victims help those who have been victimized?

Perhaps it is time for Americans of all skin colors to remember that the Lord Jesus Christ died for the world and whosoever – whatever their race – believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. Red, brown, yellow, black, and white, ALL are precious in His sight.

The point is: Jesus said to love our neighbors as ourselves. When He said that, a self-righteous man asked, “Who is my neighbor?” To answer his question, Jesus told a story about a Samaritan who helped a Jew. Then He asked, “Who was the man’s neighbor?” The self-righteous man answered, “He that showed mercy on him.”

Why don’t we all go and do likewise?

James Collins is the senior pastor of Fort Scott’s First Southern Baptist Church. Follow him on Twitter @collins_point, Facebook James Collins “The Point Is,” or from the website thepointis.net.

Government, Kansas

Survey for U.S. 69 bridge in Frontenac starts June 8

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A close up of a map Description automatically generated

Survey area in blue

The Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) plans to begin a field survey at the First Cow Creek drainage bridge on U.S. 69 at Frontenac on Monday, June 8.

 

The bridge is 2¼ miles north of the north junction of U.S. 69/U.S. 69A.

 

The field survey covers .6 miles on the existing alignment. Survey crew members will gather information for the detailed design of a proposed improvement to replace the bridge.

 

KDOT expects the survey work to last four weeks. Activities include the use of survey instruments on the ground to determine locations of existing features within the corridor.

 

A member of the survey crew will contact property owners or tenants for permission to enter private property.

 

Robert Ubben of Affinis Corporation will manage this survey for KDOT.

 

Persons with questions may contact KDOT Public Affairs Manager Priscilla Petersen, (620) 902-6433.

Government, Kansas

DCF Service Centers Reopening June 8

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Offices reopening based on county COVID-19 data; some offices will remain closed

 

Department for Children and Families Secretary Laura Howard announced today a select number of DCF offices will reopen to the public beginning Monday, June 8.

 

“Based on Governor Laura Kelly’s Ad Astra plan for reopening and county data, I feel it is appropriate to slowly begin to open our service centers,” Howard said. “Our reopening plan is based on data and will be done in a safe and measured fashion.”

 

The agency recently opened some service centers to test its readiness and ensure the safety of both clients and employees. Clients can expect to see several safety measures inside the service centers.

Those include:

  • Limiting lobby capacity to ensure social distancing
  • Asking COVID-19 screening questions upon entry
  • Encouraging clients to wear masks
  • Asking clients to limit the number of people they bring to the service center
  • Making phone interviews available
  • Plexiglass partitions
  • Designating “phone stations” for clients

Service centers included in this initial round of openings include:

 

  • Atchison
  • Chanute
  • Colby
  • Columbus
  • Concordia
  • El Dorado 6/10
  • Fort Scott
  • Goodland
  • Hays
  • Hiawatha
  • Independence
  • Junction City
  • Lawrence
  • McPherson
  • Manhattan
  • Marysville
  • Osawatomie
  • Ottawa
  • Parsons
  • Phillipsburg
  • Pittsburg
  • Pratt
  • Salina
  • Topeka
  • Winfield 6/10

 

 

Other ways to connect with DCF

 

DCF also offers other ways for clients to connect with the agency if they are concerned about entering public spaces.

 

Clients with general questions about assistance programs can use the agency’s statewide customer service line at 1-888-369-4777.

 

Kansans who have case specific questions or need to provide information or documents can email those to their local service center at DCF.(city)[email protected] (Example: DCF.TopekaEES.ks.gov).

 

Clients who have questions about their Kansas Benefits Card can call 1-800-997-6666.

 

If you need to report suspect abuse or neglect call the Kansas Protection Report Center at 1-800-922-5330.

 

“We know the pandemic has caused additional stress to the well-being of Kansas families,” Howard said. “Our goal is to be available no matter how someone contacts the agency because we know access to our programs can provide a measure of security during these difficult times.”

 

DCF will make additional announcements as more offices reopen.

Bourbon County, Schools

UHS 2020 Graduation: July 11

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Luke George is valedictorian for the class of UHS 2020.
Liberty Franks is salutatorian for the class of UHS 2020.
Uniontown High School personnel are working to provide an in-person graduation ceremony for its’ 2020 seniors.
The UHS Class of 2020 Graduation Ceremony will take place on Saturday, July 11 at 2:00 pm in the WBE gymnasium.
Mike Reith, Principal at Uniontown High School, recently posted a notice to the families of 2020 seniors on social media.

 

“When Governor Kelly modified the Reopen Kansas plan, it caused us to need to move our graduation date scheduled for June 21. The seniors who participated in the graduation ceremony discussion Zoom session with me wanted to set a date in each of the three summer months. The second date was originally set for Sunday, July 12, but I realized that for some families and situations, a Saturday graduation might be preferable. So I gave the seniors and families an option to vote for either July 11 or July 12.  The result of that vote was to have the ceremony on Saturday, July 11.”

 

Reith answered questions in an email interview with fortscott.biz:

 

 

Will there be a limit on how many family members can attend the ceremony?

“Currently, we are not planning to limit attendance. It is a small class, so we feel we can structure the gymnasium for proper social-distancing while still being able to accommodate for all who plan to attend.”

 

 

Will social distancing be maintained?

“We have been advised by Rebecca Johnson, SEK Multi-County Health Departments Administrator, to follow the ‘Phase Out’ recommendations of Governor Kelly’s Reopen Kansas plan, which we were planning to do already. Graduates will be spaced 6 feet apart. We will encourage all those who plan to attend to use proper hygiene and stay home if they feel sick. We will advise those who may be at a higher risk due to their health situation to strongly consider staying home, but we will leave that decision up to them. We will structure the facility so that families can sit together, but different family groups will be social-distanced. We will make hand-sanitizer readily available, and we will encourage attendees to wear masks if they choose.”

 

 

Who will be the speakers?

” Speakers are Valedictorian – Luke George, Salutatorian – Libby Franks, Inspirational Speaker – Mrs. Alicia Jackson (chosen by the Class of 2020).” Jackson is a teacher at UHS.

The Class of  Uniontown High School 2020 has 19 students”
Donavan Beerbower, Kord Bowen, Makenzie Brown, Alissa Button, Cheyanne Carpenter, Morgan Coulter, Ty Davidson, Colt Eck, Libby Franks, Luke George, Dalton.Graham, Jacquie Hampton, Matthew Harclerode, Breleigh Harris, Kolby Martinez, Sivanah McAnulty, Shelby Morillo, Gavin Ross, Lauren Shinn.

The following are photos of the class.

Donovan Beerbower
Kord Bowen
Makenzie Brown
Alissa Button
Cheyanne Carpenter
Morgan Coulter
Ty Davidson
Colt Eck
Liberty Franks
Luke George
Dalton Graham
Jacquelyn Hampton
Matthew Harclerode
Breleigh Harris
Kolby Martinez
Sivanah McAnulty
Shelby Morilla
Gavin Ross
Lauren Shinn

 

Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas, Health Care

CHC/SEK WELCOMES NEW PSYCHIATRIC PROVIDER

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Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas is pleased to welcome Tien Nguyen, a board-certified psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner to our Behavioral Health Services team.

Psychiatric NPs assess and diagnose patients, provide psychotherapy and prescribe medication.

They assist patients with mental health issues, including anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, substance abuse, or dementia; other patients may struggle with grief, anger, adjustment issues, or other conditions.

Tien is serving patients in Iola, Fort Scott, and Pleasanton clinics. For our patient’s convenience, he is offering a combination of in-person, telehealth, or e-visits.

He is a graduate of the University of Missouri-Kansas City.

Tien has previous nursing experience, including inpatient psychiatry, and works with substance use disorders.

If you or a loved one feel they may benefit from psychiatric consultation, appointments can be made by calling 620-231-9873, or by calling your home clinic.

Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas (CHC/SEK) is a non-profit Federally Qualified Health Center dedicated to providing affordable, high quality medical, dental, behavioral health, and pharmacy services to everyone, regardless of income or insurance status. For more information, visit www.chcsek.org

Business, Fort Scott Chamber of Commerce

Make Your Business Stand Out: Course Offered by Chamber June 16

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REGISTER TODAY!
THE DESTINATION
CREATION COURSE
See flyers & information below!
Click here to register.
Click here for more info. on Jon Schallert,
the face behind the course,
his credentials & programs.
This upcoming Destination Course will be
facilitated by Mat Casner, official Destination trainer.
Chamber to host The Destination Creation Course for Businesses, Entrepreneurs and Community Leaders
The Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce announces a Destination Creation course will be offered soon to businesses and entrepreneurs. This will be a six-session online course taking place on Tuesdays and Fridays June 16th to July 3rd, from 8 to 9:30 a.m. on those days. The course registration fee is normally $245, and through the Chamber’s NetWork Kansas Bourbon County E-Community program the first twelve registrants will be granted $150 each, making the net registration cost only $95.
The course is based on the teachings of Jon Schallert, Destination Business Expert, and will be facilitated by Mat Casner who has been officially trained in this curriculum. The course touts to “Make Your Business Stand Out: Grow Sales, Attract More Customers, and Build a Stronger Business”. Destination Creation is a mini-version of a training Schallert is known for, Destination BootCamp, which he hosts in Colorado several times per year. The training is for business owners, retailers, entrepreneurs thinking of starting a business, or a community leader interested in learning the strategies of creating a Consumer Destination. The training is for business owners who want to accelerate their learning curve, receive instruction, strategies and specific tactics on how to become a dominate Destination Business that can pull consumers past your competition.
The deadline for registration is Friday, June 12th. For more information or to register, visit the events tab on fortscott.com or call the Chamber office at 620-223-3566.