Monthly Archives: October 2021

Bourbon County, K-State Extension

Starlite FCE Minutes October 21,2021

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The Starlite FCE held is October meeting on October 21 at the Yeager building on the Bourbon County Fairgrounds.  The meeting was called to order by President Glenda Miller.  The Flag Salute and the Club Collect was led by Joyce Allen.

 

The minutes of the previous meeting were read and approved.  Thirteen members were in attendance.  They reported that they had volunteered 30 hours and had recycled 895 pounds.

 

Doris Ericson presented the treasurer’s reporter, she reported that she had about 3000 Best Choice labels to turn in and encourage everyone to bring in the labels they have.  Karen Peery gave the Council report.  She reported that the council had elected new officers for the 2022 year and that the Fall training will be held in Parsons on November 4th.  She also announced that the Bake Sale at the Fair had made $330.

 

Old Business consisted of reporting on the Fall Follies and discussing the amount the Club would donate to memorials.  Betty Johnson moved that we donate $25, Letha Johnson seconded the motion, motion carried.

 

New Business consisted of whether to buy a wreath for the National Cemetery.  Helen Carlson moved we buy one, Deb Lust seconded the motion, motion carried.  Glenda announced the April 5th will be Family Choice Media Day, in which we are not to listen to anything violent.  Glenda also announced that the year in reports are due in December and that the National FCE has a new program called Dimes for Donations.

 

Deb Lust informed the Club about upcoming Veteran’s Day celebrations that will be November 11 at 11:00 am at the National Cemetery and that she is trying to reopen the VFW Auxiliary.  Glenda Miller passed out Support your Veteran’s buttons.

 

Betty Johnson moved the meeting be adjourned, Joyce Allen seconded the motion, motion carried.  Before the meeting the members got together to prepare gift bags for the Veteran’s and Halloween Treats for Tri-Valley clients.

 

After the meeting Jackie Warren presented the lesson on King Arthur Flour.  King Arthur Flour has been sponsoring a baking contest at the fair for several years, Jackie told us about the history of the company and the products they produce.  She also passed out King Arthur catalogues and awarded door prizes of their products that they had supplied.  Refreshments of pumpkin cake and cookies, oatmeal raisin cookies, chocolates and water were provided by Letha Johnson and Jackie Warren and enjoyed by all.

 

Prepared by

Terri Williams

Fort Scott, Fort Scott Chamber of Commerce

Trick or Treat Parade Tomorrow Downtown

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The Fort Scott Chamber announces the Annual
Downtown
Trick-or-Treat Parade!
The Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce recognizes & appreciates the support of this event from the sponsors below!
Saturday, October 30, 2021 @ 11:00 AM
10 -12 pm:Walgreens will be taking pictures with a Halloween Backdrop & providing a free 4 x 6 print. The backdrop will also be available throughout the event for pictures with your own camera.
Also, the FSHS Thespians will be doing face painting!
11 am:Parade will start at La Hacienda, down the west side of Main Street to 2nd, then back down the east side of Main Street to Skubitz Plaza.
Following parade:Hot dog, chips & drink will be served to the kids in costume provided through the generous donation of local businesses!
__________
***Businesses along Main Street will be handing out candy during the parade, and businesses not on Main Street as well as any community organizations are welcome to set up a table along Main to pass out candy, coupons, promo items, etc.
Please emailthe Chamber if your business or organization will be passing out candy so we can plan accordingly.
Enjoy these additional activities taking place Halloween Day in Fort Scott:
Click here for a printable copy of the flyer below.
Obituary

Obituary of Kent “Poke” Holt

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Kent Lavoe Holt, age 89, resident of Uniontown, KS, died Wednesday, October 27, 2021, in Fort Scott, KS. He was born February 6, 1932, in Fort Scott, the son of Howard Curtis and Helen Grace Kent Holt.

He attended Uniontown schools then went to FSCC and played football. Kent enlisted in the U. S. Navy in 1951 and served until 1955.

He married Marilyn Hartman on May 6, 1951, in Redfield Kansas. Together they had 4 children, Kenneth Holt (Nancy), Debra Holt Likely (Tom), Randall Holt (Debra) and Susan Holt Eldridge (Ron); 9 grandchildren; and 24 great grandchildren. He has one Sister Nancy Elofson (Stan).

Kent was preceded in death by his parents and son Kenneth Holt.

Kent’s many accomplishments after his service in the Navy include working as Cashier at Union State Bank starting in 1955, while attending and graduating from Pittsburg State University. He also held the titles of President and Chairman of the Board until retirement in 1994. He was an ongoing Board Member. He was a member of the Kansas Bankers Association’s 50 Year Club.

Kent was a Uniontown advocate, initiating many things in his early years for the community including the Volunteer Fire Department, Uniontown Rural Rental Housing, donating the land and helping build the Uniontown Rodeo Arena, the Boy Scouts for several years, U-235 school board member, and was a member of First Missionary Baptist Church serving as a Trustee. He was also a rancher/farmer. His hobbies included piloting, golf, fishing, woodworking, traveling in the RV and being a Winter Texan for 24 years.

Rev. Marty DeWitt will conduct services at 10:00 AM Monday, November 1st, at the First Missionary Baptist Church in Uniontown.

Cremation will follow with private family burial in Uniontown Cemetery later. The family will receive friends following the service at the church. Memorials are suggested to the First Missionary Baptist Church and may be left in care of the Cheney Witt Chapel, PO Box 347, 201 S. Main, Ft. Scott, KS 66701. Words of remembrance may be submitted to the online guestbook at cheneywitt.com.

Obituary

Obituary of Donna Fisher

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Donna Ilene Tyler Fisher went to her heavenly home to be with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and her beloved son, Tommy Dean, on October 27, 2021. She was born to Paul Daniel Tyler and Deloris Roy Tyler-Bolden on December 17, 1941, in Mantey, KS, on the homestead built by her grandfather and in the same room where her mother was birthed. She lived most of her life in the Fort Scott area. 

Despite not finishing high school, Donna went on to gain her LPN license and worked as a night-charge nurse in Girard, KS, while raising four little kids. Her interest in medicine remained throughout her life. She also enjoyed learning about history; anything “old” piqued her interest, collecting old cookbooks, traveling the U.S., watching scary movies, and baking and cooking for her family. She also enjoyed landscape painting and donated some of her work to support the Douglas County AIDS Project. 

Donna married and later divorced Jim Kramer. Together they had four children: Tommy, Steven, Connie, and Shelley. In 1986, she married Raymond Fisher and moved to Moundville, Mo., where they created a home and many fond, family memories.

He preceded her in death, as did her parents, two brothers, Paul Tyler and Larry Bolden, and two sisters, Dorothy Schultz and Bonnie Heaton, and a son, Tommy Kramer, in 2020. 

Survivors include a son, Steven Kramer, Nevada Mo.; daughters Connie Wehmeyer (Mark), Mission Kansas; Shelley Morrison (Bob), Nevada Mo; a daughter-in-law Sandi Kramer, Nolanville TX; a stepdaughter, Kim Fisher Newell (Troy), Denver Co.; nine grandchildren, and 12 great-grandchildren.  A brother, Bill Bolden (Casey), Fort Scott, Ks and a sister, Laura Deen, Georgia, and several nieces and nephews in the Fort Scott area.  

Donna will be laid to rest during a graveside service on Saturday, November 6, 2021, at 11:00 AM. at the Prescott Cemetery, Prescott, KS. Friends and family are invited to attend. In place of flowers, contributions to the American Cancer Society can be left in care of the Cheney Witt Chapel, PO Box 347, 201 S. Main St., Ft. Scott, KS 66701. Words of remembrance may be submitted to the online guestbook at cheneywitt.com.

Bourbon County Sheriff's Office

Bourbon County Sees Increase in Criminal Drug Activities: New Drug Control Positions Created

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The Bourbon County Law Enforcement Center.

The Bourbon County Sheriff’s Office is the recipient of a grant to assist local and area law enforcement agencies in controlling criminal drug activities, which have increased.

On September 30, 2021, the Kansas Criminal Justice Coordinating Council reviewed 45 grant applications that were requesting money to either start, support, or maintain current law enforcement services, Bourbon County Sheriff Bill Martin said.

“This was a very competitive process where some entities and agencies were not awarded their requested grant,” Martin said.

“We requested $123,040 but was awarded $113,292,” he said.

“The newly created position will assist local and area law enforcement agencies in criminal drug activities (cases),” he said.

“The Bourbon County Sheriff’s Office is excited and very grateful in receiving this grant and we hope to have the drug deputies in place by December of this year,” Martin said.

“Deputies interested in applying for the position will have to submit a resume and … go in front of oral interview board that will consist of local representatives and area sheriffs,” Martin said.

The sheriff currently has nine road deputies that work 12-hour shifts, and one School Resource Officer.  They cover the 642 square miles of Bourbon County.

This grant created two more positions, Martin said.

Illegal drug activity has increased significantly.

There is a need for more help with illegal drug activity law enforcement in Bourbon County, Martin said.

“Drug cases have doubled from 56 total cases in 2018 to 110 cases in 2019,” Martin said.

“The number of controlled narcotic pills seized has already risen from 60 dosage units in 2019 to 343 dosage units in 2020.”

This is an increase of over five-fold.

“Oxycodone, oxycontin, hydrocodone, and fentanyl being the biggest narcotic drug that law enforcement is dealing with nationwide,” Martin said.  “Make sure you hide the (prescription) medication (you take) or keep it with you.”

“In 2019, 10.67 ounces meth was seized; in 2020 10.74 ounces of meth was seized, and 38.7 ounces was seized in the first half of this year,” he said.  This is three times the number of the total of last year.

“In 2019, of heroin, .16 ounces were recovered.  In 2020, 4.5 grams of heroin was recovered,” Martin said.

That is four times as numerous as the previous year.

About the KCJCC Grant

Governor Laura Kelly, on behalf of the KCJCC, announced on October 21 that more than $2 million will be awarded as part of the 2022 grant awards for the Federal Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Program.

The KCJCC oversees the criminal justice federal funding made available to Kansas through the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice  Assistance.

The U.S. Department of Justice is committed to advancing work that promotes civil rights,  increases access to justice, supports crime victims, protects the public from crime and evolving threats, and builds trust between law enforcement and the community.

Specifically,  JAG awards are made to local, state, and nonprofit agencies to fund prevention activities; equipment and technology needs; and programs designed to reduce crime, decrease recidivism rates, and provide crime victim services.

A total of $2,396,959 was awarded to 25 agencies, according to the press release.

KCJCC Members:
Derek Schmidt, Attorney General, Chair
Clay Britton, Vice-Chair  (Governor’s Designee)
Justice Caleb Stegall, (Chief Justice Designee)
Jeff Zmuda, Acting Secretary of Kansas Department of Corrections
Herman Jones, Superintendent of the Kansas Highway Patrol
Kirk Thompson, Director of the Kansas Bureau of Investigation

Government, Kansas

Governor Announces Cybersecurity Task Force Recommendations

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TOPEKA – Governor Laura Kelly announced today that the interim report from the Cybersecurity Task Force has been released with an initial set of recommendations.

“These recommendations will help secure our data, strengthen our digital infrastructure, and grow our cybersecurity workforce – all while protecting Kansans’ privacy,” said Governor Laura Kelly. “I want to thank the Cybersecurity Task Force for their hard work creating this report – I look forward to seeing the final recommendations this December.”

On July 13, 2021, Governor Kelly signed Executive Order No. 21-25, establishing the Governor’s Cybersecurity Task Force to protect Kansas’s digital infrastructure. Comprised of bipartisan members from across Kansas in both the public and private sectors, the Task Force has spent the last three months meeting with stakeholders and subject matter experts to collect input for recommendations that will improve the cybersecurity posture for the State of Kansas.

The Task Force is comprised of four subcommittees: Statewide Coordination and Collaboration, Workforce Development and Education, Cyber Incident and Disruption Response, and Strategic Vision and Planning.

Under the leadership of co-chairs Mike Mayta and Jeff Maxon, the Task Force met bi-weekly with subcommittees meeting on alternate weeks.

“Thank you to everyone who played a role in putting this interim report together. To the many associations, educational institutions, and our State and Federal partners who took time to meet with us, your input and ideas provided the framework for many of these recommendations. Without your engagement, this would not have been possible,” said co-chairs Mike Mayta and Jeff Maxon. “Organizations across Kansas are doing the hard work to protect their data, educate their employees and the public, and develop a robust cybersecurity workforce. Through these recommendations, we hope to leverage and build upon their success and see it come together in a more whole-of-state approach.”

The Task Force submitted its interim report to the Governor on October 5, 2021, with 45 recommendations for how entities from state and local government, education, the private sector, and other critical infrastructure sectors can address cybersecurity challenges from a whole-of-state approach. Recommendations include cybersecurity training, partnerships to support workforce development and cyber response, as well as education.

The Task Force and its subcommittees will continue to convene throughout the fall as they prepare their next report due in early December. The second report will include new recommendations while further developing some of the recommendations included in the interim report.

Members of the public can read the full report here and submit any feedback to [email protected].

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

Chamber After-Hours on Nov. 4 at Landmark Bank

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Chamber After-hours hosted by the Fort Scott Area Community Foundation

The Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce announces an After-hours event hosted by the Fort Scott Area Community Foundation will take place Thursday, November 4, 2021 from 5:15 to 6:30pm at Landmark National Bank, 200 S. Main Street.

The mission of the Community Foundation is to “Honor the Past, Impact the Future” by creating a giving and granting environment which addresses the immediate and long-term charitable needs of our community. The After-hours event will feature grant presentations to the 2021 award recipients. Light refreshments will be served.

Any individual or organization can donate to the foundation in the form of monetary gifts, transfer of real estate, investments, or a memorial. Contributions are placed in an endowed fund which is a permanent pool of resources of which only the interest is used in granting each year. The goal of the endowed funds is to exist in perpetuity so that the needs of the greater Bourbon County area are met both now and in the future.

Contact Community Foundation Chairman Carla Farmer at 620-224-6500 or the Chamber at 620-223-3566 for more information.

Government

Ratepayers Pay More For Heating Because of Natural Disasters and Exporting of U.S. Energy

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Ratepayers can expect to pay more for heat
this winter and how to minimize the impact

TOPEKA – Kansans have heard the warnings that energy costs are on the rise. As a result, consumers have questions and some may need assistance to keep pace with the higher costs. The Kansas Corporation Commission (KCC) has launched an online resource to explain the reasons prices are escalating, help consumers minimize the impact, and find financial and weatherization assistance.

Topics covered include tips to reduce energy use, assistance programs available throughout the state, information on the Cold Weather Rule, steps to take if you receive a disconnection notice and who to call for help with utility issues.

The KCC regulates investor-owned utilities in the state; however, the agency does not set fuel prices. The price for natural gas, the predominant heating source used by Kansans, was deregulated by the U.S Congress in the mid 1980’s. As a result, prices are driven by the market. The cost utilities pay for natural gas is a direct pass through to its customers.

More information is available on the KCC’s website at https://kcc.ks.gov/kcc-consumer-alert.

Why are energy costs going up?

First, it is important to note that the U.S. Congress deregulated
natural gas prices in the mid 1980’s.

As a result, prices are driven by the market. The cost utilities pay for energy is a direct pass-through to its customers. Utilities do negotiate contracts with their suppliers and utilize hedging and storage to help manage costs, but overall, supply and demand play a huge role in market prices.

Natural gas storage levels have been below five-year average levels all summer and that continues. Coming out of Winter Storm Uri in February 2021, the nation’s storage levels for natural gas were significantly depleted.

This storage has been slow to  refill for a variety of reasons:

1. Natural gas is used as a fuel for electric generation. Demand has been higher than average  due to heat waves in the west and southern parts of the U.S. Plus, there was a need to replace
hydroelectric production in the west due to record drought.

2. Energy shortages in Europe and Asia are fueling exports, which displaces production that might otherwise go to domestic storage and other uses.

3. Domestic production of natural gas has declined recently as offshore natural gas wells were disrupted from Hurricane Ida and extremely low energy prices during the pandemic caused shutdowns in domestic oil and gas wells.

4. U.S. producers are exporting record amounts of natural gas to Mexico, up 25% from a year earlier and 44% more than the previous five-year average.

Yet another factor that could affect supply is the arrival of winter weather, which will increase demand and lead to higher prices. How much will vary depending on where you live.

“High demand + lower than average supplies and storage = higher than expected prices

 

 

Government, Kansas

Flags At Half-Staff For Rep. Jennings

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Governor Laura Kelly Directs Flags be Flown at Half-Staff in Honor of Kansas Representative Russ Jennings

TOPEKA – In accordance with Executive Order #20-30, Governor Laura Kelly has directed flags be lowered to half-staff on all state buildings, grounds, and facilities effective immediately until sundown on Sunday, October 31, in honor of Kansas Representative Russ Jennings. Jennings, Lakin, has represented Kansas House District 122 since 2013.

“I was deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Representative Russ Jennings. Russ and I shared a commitment to reforming the Kansas criminal justice system, particularly our juvenile justice system,” Governor Kelly said. “His commitment to public service, his mastery of the subject matter, and his boundless tenacity made him a natural leader, well-respected by his colleagues and his constituents. I will miss him, and I know others in the State Capitol and throughout his district will too. I offer my sincerest condolences to his wife, Judy, their children and all who knew and loved him.”

Prior to being elected to the Kansas House of Representatives, Representative Jennings served as a deputy sheriff in Kearny County, director of the Southwest Kansas Regional Juvenile Detention Center, a district magistrate judge and as a member of Kansas Juvenile Justice Authority.

To receive email alerts when the governor orders flags to half-staff, please visit https://governor.kansas.gov/newsroom/kansas-flag-honors.

Area News

Bourbon County Fair Association Received Heartland Grant

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Heartland Rural Electric Cooperative, Inc. has announced the recipients of its 2021 Concern for Community grants.
“We had a great group of applicants this year and we’re excited to be able to support nine projects,” said Doug Graham, communication specialist.
The recipients are listed in alphabetical order below. Please see the attached press release for more information, and feel free to reach out if you have any questions.
  • Bourbon County Fair Association will receive $5,000 for a new furnace and roof repairs at the 4-H building in Fort Scott.   
  • Castaways Animal Shelter & Sanctuary east of Chanute will receive $200 for equipment to furnish its animal boarding area. 
  • The Learning Center, an alternative school program operated by Interlocal 637 and located in Girard, will receive $5,000 for a soft pour playground surface to help complete their playground renovation project. 
  • The Learning Tree Institute at Greenbush will receive $4,963 to build a ramp and pathways in the education service center’s simulated rainforest to make the environment and learning stations accessible to people of all abilities. 
  • Library District #2 of Linn County will receive $5,000 for a memory lab at the La Cygne library. The memory lab will include equipment for creating digital copies of physical media such as photos, VHS tapes, cassettes, and more.   
  • Neosho County Fair Association will receive $5,000 to go toward construction of a new rodeo arena at the Neosho County fairgrounds. 
  • Saint Paul Mission Township Fire Department Auxiliary, Inc., will receive $5,000 to purchase handheld radios to complete the fire department’s communications upgrades. 
  • Tri-Valley Developmental Services, Inc., will receive $1,300 for an automated external defibrillator at its Chanute service center.
  • Wesley United Methodist Church Iola will receive $5,000 to go toward construction of transitional housing for Allen County residents in need.