Monthly Archives: September 2020

COVID-19, Government, Kansas

KDHE amends travel quarantine list

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TOPEKA – The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) has amended its travel quarantine list to include Aruba. Aruba was previously on the list and was removed September 10. However, it’s rates have increased over the last two weeks to 4.2 times the rate of new COVID-19 cases in Kansas and subsequently, is being added.

 

A comprehensive list of those individuals needing to quarantine for 14 days includes visitors and Kansans who have:

 

  • Traveled to Aruba on or after September 24.
  • Attendance at any out-of-state mass gatherings of 500 or more where individuals do not socially distance (6 feet) and wear a mask.
  • Been on a cruise ship or river cruise on or after March 15.

 

Mass gatherings are defined as any event or convening that brings together 500 or more persons in a single room or space at the same time such as an auditorium, stadium, arena, large conference room, meeting hall, theater or any other confined indoor or outdoor space. This includes parades, fairs and festivals. Mass gatherings does not include normal operations of airports, bus and train stations, medical facilities, libraries, shopping malls and centers, or other spaces where 500 or more persons may be in transit. It also does not include typical office environments, schools, restaurants, factories or retail/grocery stores where large numbers of people are present, but it is unusual for them to be within 6 feet of one another for more than 10 minutes.

 

“If you are choosing to travel or attend mass gathering events, please know that there are inherent risks,” Dr. Lee Norman, KDHE Secretary, said. “Be sure to wear masks, practice social distancing and use proper hand hygiene. And, if you’re not feeling well, stay home!”

 

For more information on COVID-19, please visit the KDHE website at www.kdhe.ks.gov/coronavirus.

Bourbon County, Business, Fort Scott, Fort Scott Chamber of Commerce, Health Care

Health Insurance Plan Being Formulated For Small Business Owners in Bourbon County

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Many small businesses do not have the ability to offer health insurance to their employees, some have the ability but would like to look at other options.
The Fort Scott Chamber of Commerce has been working on a plan to help that situation.
An association health plan through the Chamber is being formulated to help members to be able to offer Blue Cross Blue Shield insurance to their employees.
“Our hope is that this will be beneficial to particularly smaller mom and pop, locally owned businesses who are not otherwise able to obtain or offer health insurance as an employee benefit which would also help recruit and retain employees,”Chamber Executive Director  Lindsay Madison said.  “A business just needs to have one full-time employee and one part-time employee, at a minimum, to be able to participate in the plan.”
Lindsay Madison is the Fort Scott Chamber of Commerce Executive Director.
“We currently have 44 potential contracts represented by those who have completed the survey (see the survey link below),” she said.  “We need at least 50 to move forward with putting together plans and pricing.”
“If your business is at all interested in this type of health insurance offering or at least seeing what plans and rates will be offered,
please complete the survey link below as soon as possible,” Madison said.
“If the employer already has employee info on a spreadsheet, they can submit that,” Madison said.
The survey was first sent out to Chamber members in May, she said.
“We would like people to send as soon as possible, by Sept. 30. Companies can still come on board  beyond that date, but we need a cut-off date.”
Click here:
The Chamber is formulating this plan through  member and local insurance representative Don Doherty of
Northwestern Mutual Life, RPS Benefits, Inc.
“Information on the attached (below) is what the employer will need to complete on the survey, so they could have their employees complete this form, or provide this information in an Excel format to Blue Cross Blue Shield.  They would send the information directly to Donna Pashman of BCBS of KS, email [email protected],” Madison said.
 
“If businesses are already on BCBS and have interest in seeing what the Chamber plans and pricing will be, they can email Donna and simply reference the Fort Scott Chamber Plan, Business Name, and current BCBS member number,” she said.
 
The survey link is also currently on the Chamber website fortscott.com under the Events tab.
Bourbon County, Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas, Health Care

CHC/SEK OFFERING DRIVE THROUGH FLU SHOT CLINIC in Fort Scott

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CHC/SEK OFFERING DRIVE THROUGH FLU SHOT CLINIC 

 

Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas, Fort Scott, is offering a 3-day drive-through flu shot clinic in the parking lot at 401 Woodland Hills Blvd. today-Saturday. There is no out-of-pocket cost for participants.

 

Times for the clinic are: Thursday 9/24: 2:00 PM-7:00 PM, Friday 9/25: 7:00 AM-Noon, and Saturday 9/26, 9:00 PM-3:00 PM.  Participants are asked to wear a facemask to protect CHC/SEK staff, and to help keep the vaccination line moving, please wear clothing where your shoulder is easily exposed.

 

Getting a flu vaccine this fall will be more important than ever, not only to reduce your risk from flu but also to conserve potentially scarce health care resources. This is standard-dose inactivated flu vaccine, CHC/SEK does not have high-dose available at this time.

 

The drive through flu clinic is recommended for everyone two years of age and older, with rare exceptions, because it is an effective way to decrease flu illnesses, hospitalizations, and deaths.

 

By getting a flu shot now, you will protect yourself and your family and friends.

 

At CHC/SEK, there is no out-of-pocket cost for receiving a flu shot. For those with health insurance, their insurance will be billed for the service; however, no money will be collected from participants regardless of their insurance status.

 

Getting an annual flu shot, and good health habits like washing your hands can help stop germs and prevent respiratory illnesses like the flu. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand rub.

 

Covering the mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing or sneezing may prevent those around you from getting sick. Make it a habit to clean and disinfect commonly used surfaces in your home, school or office. Flu vaccines and good hand hygiene are still the go-to recommendations for prevention; however, public health officials say it’s just as important to contain the virus, which means staying home when you’re sick.

 

Obituary

Obituary of Donna Hall

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Donna Lea Hall

Donna Lea Hall, age 78, resident of Fort Scott, Kansas, died peacefully on Tuesday, September 22, 2020, at her home while surrounded by her family.

She was born on October 4, 1941, in Redfield, Kansas, to Edwin Elmer Christy and Edith Alice Hartman Christy.

She married the love of her life, Clete Hall on January 13, 1962, in Miami, Oklahoma. It is alleged by him that they met when she honked at him while driving around town. Donna was an avid KU Jayhawks basketball fan and her family delighted in watching her cheer them on by yelling at the television. Her greatest joy was spending time with her family and attending her grandchildren’s athletic games and school events. She had a very close bond with each of her grandchildren and will be greatly missed.

Donna is survived by her beloved husband of 58 years, Clete Hall, a son, Brian Hall and wife Joyce, Fort Scott, Kansas, a daughter, Stacy Carpenter and husband Doug, Bryan, Texas, a daughter, Cheryl Gallagher and partner Jason Locke, Spring Hill, Kansas, 12 grandchildren and 6 great grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her parents, a sister, Beatrice Christy, a sister, Carol Christy and a brother, Edwin (Junior) Christy.

Rev. Paul Rooks will conduct memorial services at 10:00 AM Friday, October 2nd, at the Grace Baptist Tabernacle. Family committal will follow in the U. S. National Cemetery. The family will receive friends at the Grace Baptist Tabernacle from 9:00 AM until service time on Friday morning.

Memorials are suggested in lieu of flowers to either Grace Baptist Tabernacle or Harry Hynes Memorial Hospice and may be left in care of the Cheney Witt Chapel, PO Box 347, 201 S. Main, Fort Scott, Kansas 66701. Words of remembrance may be submitted to the online guestbook at cheneywitt.com.

Fort Scott, Health Care, Mercy Hospital

New Podcast “No Mercy” Features Fort Scott

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‘No Mercy’: What Happens to a Rural Town When Its Only Hospital Shuts Down?

New ‘Where It Hurts’ Podcast From KFF’s Kaiser Health News and St. Louis Public Radio Documents the Economic and Emotional Fallout

Sept. 23, 2020

“No Mercy,” the first season of the new “Where It Hurts” podcast from KFF’s Kaiser Health News (KHN) and St. Louis Public Radio, immerses you in the fallout experienced by one rural town, Fort Scott, Kansas, in the year after its only hospital was shut down by a distant corporate owner.

In losing Mercy Hospital Fort Scott, the community lost not just health care but also one of its largest employers and some of its best paying jobs, sparking tensions, anger and fear for many. Fort Scott’s identity wavered as residents struggled to come to terms with losing the place where their babies were born and kids’ bones were set, and patients with cancer went to get chemo.

Mercy Hospital served as a mainstay of the town for 132 years, and was a constant presence until faltering finances forced its doors to close in December 2018. The town felt abandoned.

KHN senior correspondent Sarah Jane Tribble, who grew up in southeastern Kansas, returns to her roots to ask uncomfortable questions of town leaders and the Catholic nuns who once ran Mercy to find out why the hospital, like so many others in rural America, fell upon hard times and ultimately shut down. Tribble spent more than a year returning again and again to see how the lives of people changed. From a low-income senior who struggles to get to dialysis to the CrossFit-loving town manager and the nurse who became the hospital’s last president, their stories are full of grit and hope. Along the way, Tribble finds that the notion that every community needs a hospital deserves questioning.

The new podcast is a collaboration between KHN and St. Louis Public Radio. Season One: “No Mercy” is the first offering in a new “Where It Hurts” podcast partnership. In future seasons, other storytellers will lead the reporting to highlight overlooked parts of America and show how health system failures can ripple through the social fabric of a community.

Troubles similar to those in Fort Scott are plaguing rural areas all over America. More than 130 rural hospitals have closed over the past decade, including 18 in 2019 alone. These days, the added pressures of dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic have forced even more small, rural hospitals to close their doors for good — 15 in the first eight months of 2020.

“When Sarah Jane shared her reporting on the fallout from a rural hospital closing in her home state of Kansas, I said, ‘Wow, this has to be a podcast,’” said KHN Editor-in-Chief Elisabeth Rosenthal. “I’m so thrilled that St. Louis Public Radio has jumped in wholeheartedly with us to make it happen!”

“We’re proud to partner with the team from KHN to shed light on health care disparities,” said St. Louis Public Radio General Manager Tim Eby. “The powerful stories from ‘Where It Hurts’ will help listeners, no matter where they are, understand the health care challenges facing our nation. These are stories that bring context and humanity and need to be heard by audiences.”

“Where It Hurts” is KHN’s third podcast project and the first to employ a narrative storytelling approach. It debuts Sept. 29, with episodes to be released weekly through Nov. 10, and will be available on major podcast platforms, including Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, and NPR One. Listen to the “Where It Hurts” trailer and find more information at whereithurts.show. Members of the news media can request an embargoed version of the entire first episode, “It Is What It Is,” by filling out this form.

“Where It Hurts” is St. Louis Public Radio’s seventh podcast currently in production, the most distinguished being “We Live Here” — a two-time international Kaleidoscope Award winner for outstanding coverage of diverse communities and issues.

About KFF and KHN:

KHN (Kaiser Health News) is a nonprofit news service covering health issues. KHN is an editorially independent program of KFF (Kaiser Family Foundation) and, along with Policy Analysis and Polling, is one of the three major operating programs of KFF. KFF is not affiliated with Kaiser Permanente.

About St. Louis Public Radio:

St. Louis Public Radio is an award-winning news organization and NPR member station, providing in-depth news, insightful discussion and entertaining programs to a half-million people per month on air and online. With a large, St. Louis-based newsroom and reporters stationed in Jefferson City and Rolla, Missouri, and Belleville, Illinois, the station’s journalists find and tell important stories about communities across the region and help people become deeply informed about the issues that affect their lives. Broadcasting on 90.7 KWMU-FM in St. Louis, 90.3 WQUB in Quincy, Illinois, 88.5 KMST in Rolla and 96.3 K242AN in Lebanon, Missouri, and sharing news and music online at stlpublicradio.org, St. Louis Public Radio is a member-supported service of the University of Missouri-St. Louis.

Filling the need for trusted information on national health issues, KFF (Kaiser Family Foundation) is a nonprofit organization based in San Francisco, California.

Contacts:

Chris Lee | (202) 654-1403 | [email protected]
Madalyn Painter | [email protected]
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Business, Fort Scott

Price Chopper Building Still On The Market

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A large crowd welcomed Price Chopper to town on opening day, December 13, 2017.

There has been some recent activity at the former Price Chopper Supermarket on South Main.

Equipment in the store has been taken out.

“We have been working on taking all of the equipment out to remodel a store in Overland Park,” said Barry Queen,  the owner.

The store closing was devastating to the Fort Scott community and Queen.

“It closed in January of 2019 after just being open a little over a year because business was really soft, compared to projections.”

“I hate it, I’ve had a lakehouse at lake Ft. Scott for 20 years and love the community,” he said.

An artist rendition of Fort Scott Price Chopper. Submitted.

“It is owned by Associated Wholesale Grocers,” Queen said.  “I am on a 20-year lease and still paying rent/taxes/insurance/utilities/etc…(I would) love it if you can help us sell it and get me out of the rent.”

The commercial building, located at 2322 S. Main, is for sale or lease, with the owners willing to split into smaller parcels, according to information provided by Jody Hoener, Bourbon County’s Economic Director.  If the purchaser is retail, there is a TIF/CID in place that will transfer to the new owner. If not a retailer,  the purchase price can be negotiated without incentive.

The  39, 425 square foot building is on 4.5 acres. There is carve out pad site availability.

The building was fully renovated in 2017.

Queen’s phone number is 913-220-2515.

 

Click below for the announcement of the closing in January  2019:

FORT SCOTT PRICE CHOPPER TO CLOSE DOORS

 

Click below for photos of the store opening in Dec. 2017:

Official Opening of Price Chopper Today

Bourbon County, Government, Kansas

Organic Certification Cost Share Applications: Now Accepted

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2020 Organic Certification Cost Share Program Now Accepting Applications

 

MANHATTAN, Kansas — The Kansas Department of Agriculture has funds available for the National Organic Certification Cost Share Program (NOCCSP). Through this program, farms, ranches and businesses that produce, process or package certified organic agricultural products may be reimbursed for eligible expenses.

 

The purpose of the NOCCSP is to defray the costs of receiving and maintaining organic certification under the National Organic Program. For FY 2020–2023, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Farm Service Agency is revising the reimbursement amount to 50 percent of the certified organic operation’s eligible expenses, up to a maximum of $500 per scope. Scopes include the areas of crops, livestock, wild crops and handling (i.e., processing). This change is due to a limited amount of funding available and will allow a larger number of certified organic operations to receive assistance.

 

FSA awards the NOCCSP funds to eligible state agencies that serve as administering entities who work directly with organic operations to reimburse organic certification costs. The current period of qualification for organic operations seeking reimbursements is from Oct. 1, 2019, through Sept. 30, 2020. Applications are now being accepted through Dec. 15, 2020, or until all funds are expended, whichever comes first.

 

It is the mission of KDA to support all facets of agriculture, including lending support to those who wish to market and sell their products as certified organic. For more information, go to the KDA website at www.agriculture.ks.gov/organic or contact KDA economist Peter Oppelt at [email protected] or 785-564-6726.

 

Bourbon County, Elections, Fort Scott, Fort Scott Chamber of Commerce

Chamber Coffee At Empress Event Center on Sept. 24

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The Chamber Coffee will be hosted by Chamber Member
Nick Graham
Nick is running a write-in campaign for County Clerk
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 24th, 8 AM
Empress Event Center
7 N. Main St.
Refreshments will be catered by Papa Don’s!
Click here for Nick’s Facebook page.
Click here for Nick’s website.
Chamber Members & Guests are welcome
to make any announcement for $1 to the Chamber about their business or organization including events, new products, promotions, or any other specials!
Masks & social distancing are encouraged.
UPCOMING CHAMBER COFFEE SCHEDULE
10/1- Open date – Call the Chamber to reserve.
10/8- Key Apparel
10/15- Open date – Call the Chamber to reserve.
10/22- Trinity Lutheran Church
10/29- Fort Scott Area Community Foundation Grant Announcements – details TBA.
11/5- VFW
11/12- Integrity Home Care & Hospice
11/19- Open date – Call the Chamber to reserve.
Bourbon County

Wreaths Across America Fundraiser

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Wreaths Across America

Submitted by Diann Tucker

“2020 has been a year to remember. Current events, conditions and events have once again forced us to work together to protect one another. Americans do not give up easily when facing difficulties. In light of this, we want to provide current status on the 2020 Wreaths Across America project for Fort Scott National Cemetery. Covid-19 has prevented the volunteers and fund raising groups from sponsoring the normal events, so we are only at about 22% of the goal to be able to provide wreaths for all in December. WE DO NOT GIVE UP. We are asking that individuals, groups, organizations, corporations and more to consider making a tax-deductible donation to the 2020 Wreaths Across America project.”
By Diann Tucker
9/15/2020

We know that there are a lot of “what ifs” right now, however we are going to PUSH ON and do as much as we can. We have contacted the Corporate Wreaths Across America office and they stated “the trucks will run this year for Wreaths Across America.” That being said, The Director at Leavenworth will be making the decision weather or not to move forward with the ceremony. Bottom line if we wait to fundraise and they decide to go ahead, it may be too late to raise the funds. We want to have something for our hero’s here at our local National Cemetery. So we are going to PUSH ON and do as much as we can. If the powers that be prevent us from doing anything at all for this project than any donations we receive will be held until the 2021 year project.
9/16/2020

🎄Wreaths 🎄are $15 Each

Many different options/ ways to donate this 📅year📅.

📧Email : [email protected] with
questions and request a link to donate

🛑Stop By : Stewart Realty 1707 S. National Fort Scott, KS
(we can take checks or cash, we will have a card reader
soon so that we can accept donations using your card.)

📬 Mail checks: payable to Wreaths Across America,
C/O Diann Tucker, 746 215th St., Fort Scott, KS 66701

👀Watch : For flyers around town they will have a QR Code
on them that you can scan with your PayPal app on you
smart phone, or scan the QR code pictured below:


💳PayPal Button : Donate by Credit Card, Debit Card, Bank
Account, through paypal At : [email protected]


☎Call with questions 620-224-7054 or 620-223-6700

Thank you for sharing. This is a worthy project showing respect and honor to our fallen military.