There may be a majority of City Commissioners present at the Healthy Bourbon County Action Team workshop on Monday, January 19th, 2022 at 5:00 p.m. at 104 N. National Avenue, Fort Scott, Kansas. Even though a majority may be present, no City business will be conducted.
Monthly Archives: January 2022
Bo Co Agenda For Jan. 11
Agenda
Bourbon County Commission Room
1st Floor, County Courthouse
210 S. National Avenue
Fort Scott, KS 66701
Tuesdays starting at 9:00
Date: January 11, 2022
1st District-Lynne Oharah Minutes: Approved: _______________
2nd District-Jim Harris Corrected: _______________________
3rd District-Clifton Beth Adjourned at: _______________
County Clerk-Ashley Shelton
MEETING HELD IN THE COMMISSION ROOM
Call to Order
- Flag Salute
- Open discussion regarding masks
- Approval of Minutes from previous meeting
- Eric Bailey – Road and Bridge Report
- Mowing/Snow Removal Bids for Medical Building
- Bill Martin
- JAG Grant Approval
- Equipment Loan Consideration
- County Counselor Comment
- Susan Bancroft, Finance Director Comment
- Public Comment
- Elected Officials Comment
Commission Comment
FS Commission Work Session Jan. 13
The Fort Scott City Commission will meet on Thursday, January 13th, 2022, at 5:00 p.m. in the City Hall Commission Meeting Room at 123 S. Main Street, Fort Scott, Kansas to hold a work session regarding brick streets.
The work session will also be available on the City’s YouTube channel.
FS Golf Advisory Board Meets Jan. 14
The Golf Course Advisory Board will meet on Friday, January 14th, 2022 at 12:00 p.m. at Woodland Hills Golf Course, 2414 S. Horton. The meeting will take place in the clubhouse. This meeting is open to the public.
Quarantine Checklist For Travel
KDHE Amends Travel Related Quarantine List
The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) has amended its travel quarantine list to add the states of New York and Washington D.C. and add the countries of Isle of Man and San Marino. An unvaccinated individual or those that have not received all the recommended vaccine doses, including boosters and additional primary shots, should quarantine if they meet the following criteria:
- Traveled on or after Dec. 16 to Andorra.
- Traveled on or after Jan. 10 to New York and Washington D.C.
- Traveled on or after Jan. 10 to Isle of Man and San Marino.
- Attendance at any out-of-state or in-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, 2020.
The length of a travel-related at home quarantine is 5 days after your last exposure with an additional requirement to wear a well-fitting mask indoors and outdoors when around others for an additional 5 days. If you cannot mask, at-home quarantine is recommended for 10 days. Quarantine would start the day after you return to Kansas or from the mass gathering. If you do not develop symptoms of COVID-19 during your quarantine period, then you are released from quarantine. Regularly check this list to stay up to date on travel-related guidance. Please refer to the KDHE Isolation and Quarantine FAQ for additional information.
For those traveling internationally, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is requiring testing within three days of flights into the U.S. For further information on this and other requirements, visit their website.
For those who meet the following criteria do not need to quarantine:
- You are ages 18 or older and have received all recommended vaccine doses, including boosters and additional primary shots for some immunocompromised people.
- You are ages 5-17 years and completed the primary series of COVID-19 vaccines.
- You had confirmed COVID-19 within the last 90 days (you tested positive using a viral test).
Persons who do not meet the above criteria should continue to follow current quarantine guidance for travel or mass gatherings.
The travel quarantine list is determined using a formula to evaluate new cases over a two-week period, then adjusted for population size to provide a case rate per 100,000 population. This provides a number that can then be compared to the rate in Kansas. Locations with significantly higher rates — approximately 3x higher — are added to the list.
For more information on COVID-19, please visit the KDHE website at www.kdhe.ks.gov/coronavirus.
First Kansas Soybean Shipment to China
Inaugural Kansas soybean shipment delivered to China
TOPEKA – Lieutenant Governor and Commerce Secretary David Toland today congratulated Kansas grain wholesaler The DeLong Co. on its recent shipment of 500 metric tons of soybeans to Henan Shennong Extruded Feed Technology Co. in Henan, China – the first such direct containerized grain shipment to China ever from the state of Kansas.
The soybean shipment resulted from the 40-year Sister-State relationship between the State of Kansas and the Chinese province of Henan. In May of 1989, Kansas Governor John Carlin and Henan Governor Liu Jie signed an agreement establishing friendly Sister-State relations to develop cooperation, facilitate diplomacy and foster a strong business connection. In September of 2021, Kansas and Henan celebrated the 40th anniversary of this long-standing relationship with a virtual event that included top political, economic, agricultural and educational leaders from Kansas and Henan.
“Kansas is a worldwide powerhouse of agriculture production,” Lieutenant Governor and Commerce Secretary David Toland said. “Our farmers and ranchers take their job of feeding the world very seriously, and we’re pleased that existing trade partnerships have led to the establishment of new customer relationships and markets abroad. Through our International Division at the Department of Commerce, we will continue to engage and facilitate new exchanges with our Sister-State and consumers worldwide.”
“Through exports, Kansas producers help feed the world,” Kansas Secretary of Agriculture Mike Beam said. “This monumental development of sending soybeans to Henan, China by way of a shipping container enhances the relationship with our Sister-State and her consumers.”
This soybean shipment marks the beginning of what the state hopes will be a continued dialogue leading to more such deals. To celebrate this inaugural Kansas-based shipment, leadership from both Kansas and Henan recently met virtually and agreed that discussions about future sales would continue.
“We are pleased to see the ongoing market development work of the Kansas Soybean Commission play a small role in the direct purchase of soybeans from a key state partner in the DeLong Company,” Kaleb Little, Kansas Soybean Commission Administrator, said. “The long-standing Kansas-Henan sister-state relationship continues to be mutually beneficial, adding value for the soybean producers of our state. This serves as a very tangible example of the return on investment of the soybean checkoff.”
Henan was originally chosen as a Sister-State for Kansas due to their agricultural role in China and their geographic location in the middle of the country. This year, both sides began negotiations for the export of Kansas products to Henan. As a result, The Delong Co., based in Edgerton, and Henan’s Shennong Extruded Feed Technology Co. made the agreement to export 500 metric tons of containerized soybeans from Kansas to Henan.
“We are thrilled about this first order placed by Henan Shennong,” Brandon Bickham, Delong’s Senior Exporter Director, said. “A direct contract like this helps us better understand our customer’s specific needs. We are confident that it also bodes well for our new business relationship with Shennong.”
About The DeLong Co., Inc.
The DeLong Co., Inc. is a sixth-generation, family-owned company, committed to cultivating prosperity – for their customers, employees and community. Headquartered in Clinton, Wisconsin, the company operates 38 locations around the U.S. and comprises six divisions of agricultural and logistical sales and services: grain, exports, agronomy, seed, transportation and wholesale feed. The DeLong Co., Inc. was an early innovator of shipping commodities via container and is currently the largest U.S. exporter of agricultural products by container. Learn more at delongcompany.com.
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. Through Commerce’s project successes, Kansas in 2021 was awarded Area Development Magazine’s prestigious Gold Shovel award and was named Site Selection Magazine’s Best Business Climate in the West North Central region of the United States. Find the Department’s strategic plan for economic growth here: Kansas Framework for Growth.
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Diann Tucker Featured in Top Agent Magazine
Diann Tucker was Featured in the January, 2022, edition of Top Agent Magazine
Fort Scott, KS: Diann Tucker of Stewart Realty Co. was featured in the January 2022 edition of Top Agent Magazine. Top Agent Magazine is the premier real estate magazine featuring the foremost real estate agents, mortgage professionals, and affiliates in the USA, Europe, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. Top Agent Magazine features the top producing and most accomplished professionals in the real estate industry, offering an in-depth look at their careers and providing a blueprint for their success.
To be considered for a feature in Top Agent Magazine all professionals must go through a nomination and interview process. ALL Candidates are then evaluated based upon production, professionalism, as well as industry and community involvement. It is considered a privilege to be nominated as it speaks to a certain success level all real estate agents strive for. Top Agent has set itself apart as a trusted source of real estate information and inspiration. Diann Tucker is a stellar example of the kind of prominent leaders of real estate we are proud to feature in Top Agent Magazine.
The online magazine can be viewed at https://topagentmagazine.com/top-agent-magazine-nationwide-and-international-edition/
“It is an honor to have been nominated and featured as a “Top Agent” in the real estate industry. I am humbled that my clients have reached out in such a way to have me recognized. I hope to continue to make real estate dreams come true.” For more information about Diann Tucker, please call 620-223-6700 or 620-224-7054, email [email protected], or visit www.stewartrealty.org.
FS Offices Closed Jan. 18
The City of Fort Scott City Administrative Offices will be closed on Monday, January 18th, 2021 in observance of the Martin Luther King Day holiday. The offices will reopen on Tuesday, January 19th, 2021.
Obituary of Robert Stone
Robert (Bob) Lee Stone passed away on January 7, 2022, in Overland Park, KS from Parkinson’s disease. Bob was born September 22, 1941, in Louisville, Kentucky to Robert Thomas and Elsie Burr Payne Stone. His siblings include twin sister Beverly Ann Stone Felton, and brother Stephen Bruce Stone.
Bob graduated from Bartlett High School in Memphis, TN. He continued his education at Northwest Mississippi Community College and Middle Tennessee State University with a degree in Business Administration and Industrial Arts.
Inducted into the Army in May 1966, Bob served in Korea during the Vietnam War. He was honorably discharged in May 1968
. He was married to Virginia Ann Vincent May 10, 1968, to August 1989. They had twin sons, Robert Bryant, and Vincent Barrett.
On January 1,1996 he married Pamela Sue Vineyard.
Bob spent the majority of his working career in the garment industry in various locations and finished his career with Key Industries in Fort Scott, KS.
Bob loved Jesus and was active in the Baptist church in the various communities he lived as a Sunday School teacher, camp counselor, and participated in mission trips.
He leaves behind his wife Pam, son Bryant of Muscle Shoals, AL and son Barrett and wife Katherine of Florence, AL, and three grandsons, Rett, Ren, and Rowan, his sister Ann, two nieces and a nephew, several great-nieces and nephews, and great, great-nieces and nephew.
His loved ones who preceded him in death were his parents, Bob and Elsie, his brother, Steve, and his nephew Johnny Felton.
Celebration of Life service will be held at Cheney Witt Funeral Chapel, Fort Scott, Kansas at 9:30 a.m. Friday, January 14th, with burial service at Fort Scott National Cemetery at 11:00 a.m.
Memorials may be made to Emmanuel Baptist Church of Overland Park, KS, First Baptist Church in Fort Scott, KS, or charity of donor’s choice and may be left in care of the Cheney Witt Chapel, PO Box 347, 201 S. Main St., Fort Scott, KS 66701. Words of remembrance may be submitted to the online guestbook at cheneywitt.com.
Fort Scott’s Middle School: Masks Required
USD234 Superintendent Ted Hessong said in an email that as of Friday, January 7, the school district had 29 student active cases and nine staff cases.
He gave the statistics of the number of COVID positive students and staff/total number of students and staff in a building as of Friday:
Fort Scott High School= 1.52%
Fort Scott Middle School= 2.26%
Eugene Ware Elementary School = 1.88%
Winfield Scott Elementary School= 1.30%
USD 234 Preschool = 2.00%
“According to the district’s gaiting criteria, any building that has a positivity rate over two percent and the community spread is over 30 new cases, that building will need to wear masks until the positivity rate falls below 2%,” Hesson said. “Therefore, the middle school is required to wear masks at this time until the building positivity rate falls below 2%. The preschool is not required to wear masks at this time because they have a lower student/staff population, but we are monitoring that building’s numbers.”
The school district has provided a way to follow USD 234’s COVID Attendance Dashboard, he said, and this information is updated daily in the afternoon.
To view the state’s COVID-19 data:
Kansas has had 566,000 cases of the virus and 7,124 deaths. Bourbon County has had 3,192 cases and 44 deaths reported, according to https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-1-d&q=latest+covid+stats+for+bourbon+county+ks
from the New York Times.
Virtual Job Fair for Open Positions
Kansas Department of Commerce Hosting Virtual Job Fair for Open Positions
TOPEKA – Lieutenant Governor and Secretary of Commerce David Toland today encouraged job seekers to participate in the January 12 KANSASWORKS Virtual Job Fair, which will feature openings at the Kansas Department of Commerce.
The virtual job fair will be from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday, January 12, and allow job seekers to easily live chat and conduct interviews with Human Resources team members on computers, tablets and mobile devices. Job candidates also will be able to upload their resumes to their Virtual Job Fair account.
Click here to register for the Virtual Job Fair.
“We have an outstanding team at the Department of Commerce, with motivated and talented individuals doing an extraordinary job every day serving the people of Kansas,” Lieutenant Governor/Secretary Toland said. “We’re looking for new team members who are eager to contribute to our mission of advancing economic growth and prosperity across the state.”
The Jan. 12 job fair will seek to fill the following positions at Commerce: Director of Marketing and Communications; Communications Coordinator for the Marketing-Communications Division; Program Manager for the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program; Main Street Design Specialist for Kansas Main Street; Website and Database Manager for the Tourism Division; and other openings.
Numerous virtual job fairs have been organized by Commerce since the pandemic started, serving as a safe and convenient way to successfully connect Kansas job seekers and employers.
Any individual with a disability may request accommodations for this or future job fairs by contacting their nearest workforce center at (877) 509-6757 prior to the event.
About KANSASWORKS
KANSASWORKS links businesses, job candidates and educational institutions to ensure that employers can find skilled workers. Services are provided to employers and job candidates through the state’s 27 workforce centers, online or virtual services KANSASWORKS is completely free for all Kansans to use. Learn more at kansasworks.com.
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. Through Commerce’s project successes, Kansas in 2021 was awarded Area Development Magazine’s prestigious Gold Shovel award and was named Site Selection Magazine’s Best Business Climate in the West North Central region of the United States. Find the Department’s strategic plan for economic growth here: Kansas Framework for Growth.
