Monthly Archives: May 2022
KCC approves agreement lowering rates for Empire Electric customers
TOPEKA – Empire Electric customers will soon see a reduction in their monthly bills. A settlement agreement approved today by the Kansas Corporation Commission calls for a 3.8% rate decrease effective July 1, 2022. This amounts to a bill reduction of $2.95 per month for residential customers with average usage.
The company, which serves 9688 customers in southeast Kansas, filed an application for a rate increase last May to recover costs related to building three new wind farms, retiring the Asbury coal plant and updating accumulated depreciation and deferred costs. The application called for an increase in rates totaling about $5.00 per month for residential customers.
The settlement, negotiated by KCC Staff, the Citizens Utility Ratepayer Board (CURB) and the company addressed all matters raised in the application except recovery of the wind farm costs. Questions were raised at the evidentiary hearing, held in March, regarding the need for the wind facilities and the cost. On May 6, Empire filed a motion to withdraw its request to recover the wind project costs in rates, with the option to seek recovery in a future general rate case. The Commission approved that motion as part of today’s order.
In issuing today’s order, the Commission found the agreement was supported by substantial competent evidence, will result in just and reasonable rates, and is in the public interest.
The order can be viewed here.
A recording of today’s Business Meeting featuring comments by Commissioners on this order is available on the KCC YouTube channel.
New Farmers Market at Uniontown
On Thursday evenings at Union Station Convenience Store near Uniontown, you might notice more cars than usual.
A farmers market started May 5 there, just west of Uniontown on Hwy. 3. It meets every Thursday from 4-8 p.m. but may expand a day in the future if the community responds.
“Union Station is allowing vendors to set up on the east side of the convenience store parking lot, in the trees,” Schotze Griffiths, store manager said.
Currently, there are four vendors who have set up, but “I have more people coming when their garden starts to produce,” Griffiths said. “This is an opportunity to buy fresh food locally.”
There is no cost to the vendor, and anyone that would like to set up a table, may.
“It’s a work in progress,” she said. “So don’t give up on us. If it is real hot in the summer it might get sparse, but it will be here as long as people want to come. There might be less vendors this week because of prior commitments.”
Saturday mornings are a possibility in the future she said.
“Especially when we have rodeos that come,” Griffiths said.
Union Station is directly across the street from the Uniontown Rodeo Grounds on Hwy. 3.
Current Vendors
The four vendors currently coming are MMM Flavor Shop, Prairie Rose Farmstead, 9 Acre Farm and Mama Mary.
MMM Flavor Shop is owned by Addi Foster and her sister, Emelia Whiteaker, who are selling spices. Addi’s daughter, Mayla also has crafts, eggs, peacock feathers and poultry grown on the family farm to sell. The mother-daughter duo are part of Foster Dairy, from the Hiattville area. Contact info is 620.224.8442 or 620.224.9411.
9 Acre Farm is owned by Dale and Lisa Griffiths, Bronson, and sells fresh eggs, pickled items and candles at their booth. They will bring produce later as it starts producing on their farm. Interested parties can watch them on YouTube. For more information contact them at 620.215.3101.
Prairie Rose Farmstead is owned by Sage and Jessi Hall, Uniontown.They offer goat milk products including soap, lotion, salve and lip balm. In addition they sell raw milk, pastured poultry and grass fed beef. Contact them at 316.821.0309 or [email protected].
Mama Mary, Mary Ridge of the Zenia area, sells pies, take and bake meals and canned goods. Her homemade food items are also sold at the Bronson Locker in Bronson. Her contact info: 620.939.4977.
FS Lake Board Meets June 2
The Lake Fort Scott Advisory Board will meet on Thursday, June 2nd, 2022 at 5:30 p.m. at the City Hall Commission meeting room at 123 S. Main Street, Fort Scott, Kansas. This meeting is open to the public.
The meeting will be available on the City’s YouTube channel.
The Fort Scott Golf Board Meets June 1
The Golf Course Advisory Board will meet on Wednesday, June 1st, 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.
HedgehogINK! Book Sale
The Fort Scott Police Department Daily Report May 25
The Bourbon County Sheriff’s Office Daily Reports May 26
Public Service: Phone Numbers of Kansas U.S. Senators and U.S. Representatives
Those wishing to make their views on any current events known to their elected officials may contact them via their websites or by phone;
For U.S. House of Representatives for Kansas:
Sharice Davids at 202.225.2865
Ron Estes at 202.225.6216
Jake LaTurner at 202.225.6601
Tracy Mann at 202.225.2715
For U.S. Senators For Kansas:
Roger Marshall at 202.224.4774
Jerry Moran at 202.224.6521
Chamber Coffee at FSHS Commons Area on May 26
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Forum For Professional Financial Advisors On June 23
Community Foundation of Southeast Kansas to Host Forum for Professional Advisors
The Community Foundation of Southeast Kansas (CFSEK) will host the 2022 Estate Planning Forum at Crestwood Country Club in Pittsburg starting at 9:30 a.m. on Thursday, June 23.
The full-day Forum, hosted annually in partnership with Foulston Siefkin LLP of Wichita, is open to Southeast Kansas attorneys, CPAs, insurance professionals, and financial advisors.
Attendees will learn about new developments in the field of estate planning, earn up to six hours of continuing-education credit, and enjoy a free lunch courtesy of CFSEK.
This year’s Forum includes sessions on legal ethics; estate planning for clients with health concerns or disabilities; strategies for asset protection and to reduce income taxes; and an update on recent legislative, judicial, and regulatory developments at the state and federal levels. Sessions will be taught by Kathleen J. Selzler Lippert, JD, of the Office of the Disciplinary Administrator; and Foulston Siefkin’s Tim O’Sullivan, JD, LLM, and Corey Moomaw, JD, LLM.
The Forum has been approved for 6 hours of CLE credit (including one hour of ethics credit) and 5 hours of insurance CE credit. It also offers a recommended 5 hours of CPE credit for
accountants and 5 hours of PACE credit for qualifying financial advisors.
Space will be limited, so professional advisors who want to attend the 2022 Estate Planning Forum must register by completing the online form at SoutheastKansas.org/forum2022/,
emailing [email protected], or calling (620) 231-8897.
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Obituary of Patricia Howard
Patricia Ann “Trisha” Howard, age 67, a resident of Ft. Scott, Kansas, passed away Monday, May 23, 2022, at Overland Park Regional Medical Center.
She was born May 30, 1954, in Ft. Scott, the daughter of O.E. “Dan” Pence and Mary Share Pence. Patricia graduated from the Ft. Scott High School with the Class of 1972. She went on to graduate from Ft. Scott Community College School of Nursing in 1975. She married Kenneth C. Howard on November 22, 1975, in Ft. Scott. Trisha obtained her initial nursing license in November of 1975 and has continued to maintain her license ever since.
After finishing nursing school Patricia worked for a brief period at Arkhaven Nursing Home before Dr. James Basham asked her to cover maternity leave for his nurse at his family practice. Trisha fell in love with her patients at the practice and what began as covering maternity leave turned into a career that spanned over four decades. When Dr. Basham retired she began working for Dr. Randy Nichols and spent thirty-six years taking care of patients in his office. Not only did Trisha love her patients she loved her coworkers, many of them becoming lifelong friends.
She was a devoted wife, loving mother and grandmother. She was extremely proud of her family and loved sharing stories and pictures of her grandchildren with anyone she met. She and Kenny seldom missed attending their grandchildren’s many activities, often times traveling from one event to the next. Trisha’s heart of compassion also spilled over into the animal kingdom. She frequently tended a stray cat or dog and would spend hours searching for someone’s lost pet. Many cats, and dogs enjoyed long comfortable lives because of Patricia’s love.
Serving others and serving God were just two of her many loves in life. She was a life-long member of the Mary Queen of Angels Catholic Church and was currently serving as treasurer of the St. Anne’s Altar Society. She was also a former member of the PEO.
Survivors include her husband, Kenny, of the home; two sons, Matt Howard (Deidra) of Olathe, Kansas and Chris Howard (Nicole) of Bonner Springs, Kansas and four grandchildren, Benjamin, Michael, Christian and Kate. Also surviving is her twin brother, Patrick Pence (Terri) and a sister, Carolyn Perry (Bill) all of Pittsburg, Kansas and several nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Dan and Mary Pence and her in-laws, Robert and Doris Howard.
Following cremation, Father Yancey Burgess will conduct Mass of Christian at 11:30 A.M. Friday, May 27th at the Mary Queen of Angels Catholic Church.
The family will receive friends from 5 to 7 P.M. Thursday at the Mary Queen of Angels Catholic Church where the Rosary will be recited at 6:30 P.M.
Memorials are suggested to Always and Furever Midwest Animal Sanctuary and may be left in care of the Cheney Witt Chapel, 201 S. Main, P.O. Box 347, Ft. Scott, KS 66701. Words of remembrance may be submitted to the online guestbook at cheneywitt.com.