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Monthly Archives: May 2021
Kansas: $5 Billion in New Capital Investment
Governor Laura Kelly Announces Kansas Economic Development Week; State Surpasses $5 Billion in New Capital Investment
TOPEKA – Today, Governor Laura Kelly announced Kansas will participate in Economic Development Week, an annual celebration hosted by the International Economic Development Council.
“Over the last two years, we’ve rebuilt the Department of Commerce and reinvested in critical services like education, transportation, broadband, and health care,” said Governor Laura Kelly. “With over $5 billion in new capital investment, our efforts are paying off in real-time. We’ll continue to reinvest in our foundation and recruitment tools to keep Kansas open for business.”
Since Governor Kelly took office, Kansas has experienced historic economic development success – recently surpassing over $5 billion in new capital investment by businesses since 2019. Of the $5 billion brought to the state, $2.5 billion was invested in 2020 alone, making 2020 the most successful economic development year in Kansas history.
“Governor Kelly has ushered in a new era of economic development in Kansas,” Lieutenant Governor and Commerce Secretary David Toland said. “Major business investments ripple through the state by bringing new visitors, residents and dollars to the state. Kansas companies expanding strengthen their communities and provide new opportunities for their neighbors. Our new way of doing business has made Kansas stronger, more secure and more prosperous – period.”
Selected investments since the beginning of the Kelly administration include:
- Schwan’s Company, Inc. – building a new 400,000-square-foot expansion at its pizza-manufacturing facility in Salina, totaling $600 million in capital investment;
- Hilmar Cheese Company – building a new production facility in Dodge City, totaling $460 million investment;
- Urban Outfitters, Inc. – building a new 880,000-square-foot omnichannel distribution center in Wyandotte County, totaling more than $400 million in capital investment;
- Amazon – two new fulfillment centers in Kansas City and Park City, totaling $210 million in capital investment;
- Merck Animal Health – new facility expansion/enhancement in DeSoto, totaling $100 million in capital investment;
- Pretzels, LLC – building a 146,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in the Lawrence Venture Park, totaling $88 million in capital investment;
- Great Plains Manufacturing (Kubota) – new manufacturing facility in Salina, totaling $43 million in capital investment.
For more information on the recent $5 billion capital investment milestone, read Governor Kelly’s recent op-ed in the Wichita Eagle here.
To read more about Kansas’ recent economic development successes and the team behind business recruitment and expansion, follow the Kansas Department of Commerce on social media, including Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and Instagram.
About Economic Development Week
Economic Development Week was created by IEDC in 2016 to increase awareness of local programs that create jobs, advance career development opportunities, and improve the quality of life in communities everywhere. Over the years, more than 450 campaigns have been created throughout the United States and Canada, creating millions of impressions, hundreds of news stories, blog entries, videos, events and other activities. Campaigns occurred in all 50 American states in 2018, with more than 40 communities officially proclaiming Economic Development Week.
About the Kansas Department of Commerce
As the state’s lead economic development agency, the Kansas Department of Commerce strives to empower individuals, businesses and communities to achieve prosperity in Kansas. Commerce accomplishes its mission by developing relationships with corporations, site location consultants and stakeholders in Kansas, the nation and world. Our strong partnerships allow us to help create an environment for existing Kansas businesses to grow and foster an innovative, competitive landscape for new businesses.
Bird Lands In Fort Scott, starting Friday, May 14th
The City of Fort Scott is partnering with shared electric scooter company, Bird Rides. to bring e-scooters to the city. The scooters are available through a mobile phone application and riders pay to use the scooter per minute, at no cost to the city.
City of Fort Scott Community Development and Tourism manager, Allyson Turvey, stated: “We are happy to welcome Bird to the City of Fort Scott and look forward to having the scooters available to connect visitors to our attractions. I think they will make a great addition to our community.”
The electric scooters can only be used on roads and in bike lanes and have a maximum speed of 15mph. Scooters must be parked out of the way of pedestrians. Riders are required to be 18 years-old and above to access the scooters. They are also encouraged to wear a helmet on every ride and required to obey all standard rules of the road.
“The City has been working with Bird, a LA based company for the last few months. We are excited to see the economic benefit of these scooters in our rural community.” according to Rachel Pruitt, City of Fort Scott Economic Development Director.
‘Community Mode’ allows anyone with a Bird account to report or provide feedback on vehicle-related issues such as poorly parked or damaged vehicles in their area. When a report is submitted, a member of the Bird team is assigned to correct the issue. Anyone can access Community Mode by tapping the yield sign on the bottom left of the Bird map.
If a resident has questions or concerns about the e-scooters the company can be reached directly at 1-866-205-2442 or [email protected]. More information about the company can be found on their website (www.bird.co) and on their blog (www.bird.co/blog).
BIG KANSAS ROAD TRIP MOVES TO SOUTHEAST KANSAS
The Big Kansas Road Trip in upper northeast Kansas ended with more than a hundred people at the Kansas Explorers Club meeting waiting anxiously for news about where the fourth annual BKRT would take place. Cheers and applause accompanied the announcement that Bourbon, Cherokee and Crawford counties in southeast Kansas would be the next area to be showcased May 5-8, 2022.
Allyson Turvey, Fort Scott Tourism Director; Rachel Pruitt, Fort Scott Economic Development Director; and Rhonda Dunn, tourism advisory board member, represented the 2022 planning team at this year’s Big Kansas Road Trip (BKRT) in Brown, Doniphan and Nemaha counties. They were introduced at the Kansas Explorers Club meeting and they welcomed the crowd to southeast Kansas.
The BKRT, a project of the Inman-based, non-profit Kansas Sampler Foundation, replaced the 27-year run of the popular Kansas Sampler Festival. The first counties to be featured in the new format in 2018 were Barber, Comanche and Kiowa counties. The next year the northwest counties of Cheyenne, Sherman and Wallace were highlighted. The 2020 event was postponed until this May due to the pandemic. Foundation director Marci Penner said, “By showcasing three counties, we give people a reason to come see a part of the state they might not know very well. We’re trying to get people addicted to exploring!”
Penner continued, “All we ask of the communities is to be good at being themselves, that’s all. It’s a time to show-and-tell a story that even locals might find interesting. The event is like a tri-county open house, an ala carte adventure. Hundreds of people will travel all over the three counties but on their own time frame to places they choose to go. Those who attend are excited to interact with the locals, to buy and eat at locally-owned businesses and to get to know something unique about each community.”
Penner and assistant director WenDee Rowe will be coming to Fort Scott, Pittsburg and Columbus on June 7 and 8 to meet with county leaders and those interested in learning more about how to participate. In addition to Turvey and Pruitt representing Bourbon County, Devin Gorman and Chris Wilson of the Crawford County Convention and Visitors Bureau will lead Crawford County, and Liz Simpson of The Columbus Project and Jake Letner, Columbus Community Development Coordinator, will lead Cherokee County. Anyone interested in being the main contact for their community should attend the June meetings.
Allyson Turvey said, “I am so excited to have the Big Kansas Road Trip making its way to Southeast Kansas next year. The locals always love the opportunity to greet new visitors, and show off everything that makes our rural communities special; BKRT is the perfect time to do just that!”
For more information about the BKRT, go to www.bigkansasroadtrip.com.
USD234 Board of Education Minutes of May 10
NEWS RELEASE
Monday, May 10, 2021
Members of the USD 234 Board of Education met at the Fort Scott Middle School Commons on Monday, May 10, 2021, for their regular monthly meeting.
President David Stewart opened the meeting. The board approved the official agenda. The board also approved the consent agenda as follows:
A. Minutes
B. Bills and Claims
C. Payroll – April 20, 2021 – $1,424,631.30
D. Financial Report
E. Activity fund accounts
F. LCP Assurances
G. May 15 – Baccalaureate – 4:00 pm; Graduation – 8:00 pm
Gifted teachers, Angie Kemmerer and Paulette Howard, presented a program on
the gifted education program.
There were no comments in the public forum section.
Reports were given by the following:
· Brenda Hill, KNEA President
· Administrators’ written reports
· Dalaina Smith, Academic Director
· Ted Hessong, Superintendent
· Gina Shelton, Business Manager/Board Clerk
Board members approved the following:
· Adjustment in adult meal fees for 2021-22
· 2021-22 Fees
· Masonry bid
· Summer Camps
· 2021 Summer pay, pending negotiations
Board members shared comments and then went into executive session to discuss personnel matters for nonelected personnel and to discuss upcoming negotiations sessions and returned to open meeting.
The board approved the following employment matters:
A. Resignation of Baylee Newman, Eugene Ware paraprofessional, effective May 13, 2021
B. Resignation of Kristin Bishop, Winfield Scott paraprofessional, effective at the end of the 2020-21 school year
C. Resignation of Vernon Hill, Winfield Scott cook, effective June 3, 2021
D. Transfer of Jennifer Tourtillott, Winfield Scott kindergarten teacher, to Winfield Scott counselor for the 2021-22 school year
E. Contract extension request from Angella Curran, high school debate and forensics teacher
F. Leave of absence request from Natalie Kitsmiller, Winfield Scott paraprofessional
G. Additional duties for Krista Gorman, high school/middle school instructional coach, as high school lead administrator for the remainder of the 2020-21 school year
H. Employment of Madeline Martin as a gifted teacher for the 2021-22 school year
I. Employment of Todd Magee as a Eugene Ware third grade teacher for the 2021-22 school year
J. Employment of Trent Johnson as a high school agriculture education teacher for the 2021-22 school year
K. Employment of Carol Glover as a Winfield Scott cook for the 2021-22 school year
L. Employment of Eileen Strakal as a Eugene Ware cook for the 2021-22 school year
M. Employment of Millicient Willard as a Winfield Scott cook for the 2021-22 school year
N. Employment of Lynn Barr as high school head girls’ tennis coach for the 2021-22 school
O. Termination of Joie Moore, high school cook, effective April 1, 2021
The board adjourned.
FS Street Advisory Board Meets May 13
The Street Advisory Board will meet on Thursday, May 13th, 2021 at 4:00 p.m. at the City Commission Meeting Room at 123 S. Main Street. This meeting is open to the public.
This meeting will be made available via the City’s you tube channel at City of Fort Scott.
FS Design Review Board Meets May 12
The Design Review Board will meet on Wednesday, May 12th, 2021 at 4:00 p.m. in the City Hall Commission Meeting room at 123 S. Main Street, Fort Scott, Kansas. This meeting will be held to consider the signage at 18 N. Main Street.
This meeting will be made available via the City’s you tube channel at City of Fort Scott.
10 Years of Ministry: Feeding Families in His Name
Feeding Families in His Name celebrates 10 years of ministry on May 11, 2021.
“We started the ministry because of a seen need of school children being food insecure,” Jean Tucker, coordinator of the weekly meal, said.
“Tom Braker had the idea ten years ago and gathered a group of people who started the program on May 11, 2011,” she said. “The administrative board of the First United Methodist Church voted unanimously to start the program.”
The meal is offered each Wednesday evening at 301 S. National, the Fort Scott First United Methodist Church from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m.
“From May 11, 2011, until March of last year we served the meal in the basement Fellowship Hall,” she said. “This allowed us to visit with the families and get to know them and their needs other than a hot-home cooked meal. Now we must visit with them as they drive through.”
“Since the beginning of COVID-19 restrictions, we have served to-go-meals only,” Tucker said.
“The ministry has extended past the serving of a meal,” she said. “Some of our dinner guests have become our valued weekly volunteers. We believe that the meal is a delivery system for God’s love!”
Currently helping weekly are Tom Braker, Steve and Susan Cole, Tom Coyan, Joey Beerbower, Linda and Leroy Cox, Betty and Pat Galan, Koyle Link, Lisa Robertson, Phyllis Colthart, and Don and Jean Tucker, plus a group of 15-20 dessert bakers who bake one or two desserts every week, Tucker said.
A different group helps with the entrée and serving every week.
“The first Wednesday (of each month) is St. Martin’s Schoolboys; the second Wednesday during the school year, the Community Christian Church, under the direction of Gail Sackett, alternates with the First United Methodist Church; the third Wednesday is the Nazarene Church Small Group, under the direction of Gretchen Goodyear; the fourth Wednesday is the First Presbyterian Church under the direction of Alesha Martin and Sandra Cowan, and the fifth Wednesday is Pioneer Kiwanis under the direction of Kelly Collins,” she said.
The amount of meals served has grown.
In March 2011, the ministry served 44 meals, on March 10, 2021, they served 281 people a meal, Tucker said.
“The most we have served is 422 meals on a Wednesday last November,” Tucker said.
” I just did some math and the number of meals served since we began May 11, 2011, is over 98,000 and we have averaged 1,233 meals each month for the past year,” she said.
The ministry receives funding from the Fort Scott Area Community Foundation.
For more information, contact Jean Tucker, Coordinator of FFiHN at 620-223-4617 or church office at 620-223-1950
The Bourbon County Sheriff’s Office Daily Reports May 11
Legislative Update by State Senator Caryn Tyson
May 7, 2021
Veto Session Overrides
The first day of veto session the legislature overrode five of the Governor’s vetoes, making the bills law. The first was addressing income tax allowing the option to itemize and increasing standard deductions. We then overrode two vetoes for bills that protected elections and another override that lowers concealed carry age restriction to 18 and increases reciprocity with other states. The final override was a bill that has several options for customized license plates. There was a failed attempt in the Senate to override a veto limiting women’s sports to biological women. It failed by one vote.
Article V Convention
The U.S. Constitution Article V allows for amendments to the Constitution to originate in two ways. The first way most people are familiar with – through U.S. Congress. The second path is through 2/3 of the state legislatures passing an application for a call of a convention of states. The convention would propose amendment(s) according to the application. An Article V convention has never been called in the history of our country.
The Convention Of States (COS) is a group working to pass an application in several states on a couple of topics; fiscal restraints, limited power and jurisdiction of the federal government, and term limits for Congress. The COS convinced the Senate President to attempt to pass the COS application, SCR 1611, based on the U.S. Constitution, which based on their logic, would lower the required Senate votes to 21, not 27.
The COS attempting to pass an application at the simple majority (21) could have serious consequences (the Kansas Constitution requires a 2/3s majority). What if the Senate President was far to the left and was working to pass an application for a convention to remove the 1st or 2nd Amendment of the U.S. Constitution? Would you want that application to require simple-majority (21) or a super-majority (27) of yes votes? It is a gamble for short-term gain and long-term consequences. A gamble I am not willing to take.
Tax
The Senate tax committee, which I chair, produced some great work this year and Senate Substitute for HB 2313 was another example. It passed the Senate 33 to 6. The bill would have allowed small businesses a rebate on a portion of their property taxes for the COVID government shutdown; exempted property tax on businesses during future emergency shutdowns; froze property tax for low-income seniors and disabled veterans through another rebate program; and exempted property tax for up to two vehicles for active national guard members, like other service members get in Kansas. Instead of keeping the bill as it was, leadership decided to try to attach the unpopular HB 2445, exempting all health clubs from property tax, a bill that had not passed out of any committee. I did not support this effort. A majority of Senators didn’t support it either and sent a strong message voting down CCR 2313 after that change, 11 yes to 27 no. The legislation was sent back to conference committee. Instead of just pulling out the health club portion (HB 2445), the Senate’s lead negotiator also removed the rebate program for small businesses that were shut down and the property tax freeze for low-income seniors and disabled veterans. It made no sense because the House did not ask for them to be removed and the Senate position obviously supported the legislation based on the first vote (33 to 6). It is a good example of personal interest games getting in the way of good legislation. Disappointing as it was, there were still good things (exempted property tax on businesses during future emergency shutdowns, exempted property tax for up to 2 vehicles for active nation guard members) in the legislation and the final version passed 35 to 0.
It is an honor and a privilege to serve as your 12th District State Senator.
Caryn
Friday Night Concert Features The Hemphill Family
This Friday night, May 14th, the Chamber of Commerce Concert series at Heritage Park, will present The Hemphill Family and Friends Band. The group consists of Jack and Sandy Hemphill and their two adult children, Brad Hemphill and Kristen Weeks.
A granddaughter, Piper Weeks, will perform a song. In addition, Floyd Feezell (fee zel’), who is a crowd favorite, will join them for some songs.
The band plays old country songs, old-time rock, gospel, and country standards. Because of limited seating, please bring a lawn chair. The concert begins at 7 PM.