Monthly Archives: October 2022

Fort Scott, Schools

FSHS Thespians Host 5th Annual Royal-Tea Party

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The Fort Scott High School Thespians host their 5th Annual Royal Tea Party from 10 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Oct. 15 in the FSHS Commons.

Join your favorite princesses and princes, queens and kings and other members of the royal court. Take photos with your favorite characters while you make crafts, have treats, and do activities. Over thirty Fort Scott High School Thespians will be dressed in character and leading the event.  Attendees are encouraged to join us in dressing as royalty.

Tickets are $10 per child and all must be accompanied by an adult. Tickets may be purchased online in advance at fortscotthighschool.ludus.com or at the door. The event is a fundraiser for students attending the KS State Thespian Festival in January.

 

For more information, please see the Fort Scott High School Thespians Facebook page or contact Angie Bin at [email protected] or 620-719-9622.

 

Abbie Tomasi visits with Jasmine (Christina King). Submitted photo.

 

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Obituary

Obituary of Steve LaRue

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Steven Joe LaRue, age 72, resident of Bronson, KS, died Saturday, October 1, 2022, at KU Medical Center, Kansas City, KS.  He was born on October 21, 1949, in Iola, KS, the son of Charles and Elaine Johnson LaRue.

He married Mary Jo Hall on December 7, 1969, in Bronson.

Steve worked for Diebold Lock and Key in Minneapolis, MN for 10 years.  After moving back home, he worked for Diebolt Lumber in LaHarpe, KS, for the next 30 plus years.  All during this time he was also working as a locksmith.

Steve loved his 1950 John Deere tractor.  He even had it parked outside his window these last few months so he could view it in the background of the hummingbird feeder.

In earlier days, he was very involved in his children’s activities, especially sports.  He also enjoyed calling bingo.

Steve never met a stranger and always had a joke to tell.  Every morning he would play several “oldies” including “Wake Up Little Suzie.”  He was a member of the Sons of the American Legion, the Masons, and the Shriners.

 

Survivors include his wife Mary Jo; 3 daughters, Sherry Dwyer and husband Terry, Linwood, KS, Linda Zibert, LaHarpe, KS, and Donna Kovacic and husband Jeff, Stark, KS; 2 sons, Donald LaRue and wife Janet, Overbrook, KS, and Dean LaRue, Linwood, KS; 3 brothers Larry LaRue and wife Mary Ann, Michigan, Roy LaRue and wife Amy, Florida, and Ray LaRue and wife Tami, Moran, KS, 6 grandchildren, Diana and husband Tyler, Julia and husband Chad, Bryson, Wade, Abby, and Orin; 3 great grandchildren; and several nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents; a grandson, Hunter Kovacic; and a granddaughter, Makala LaRue.

 

Funeral services will be held at 2:00 PM Thursday, October 6th, at the Cheney Witt Chapel.

Burial will follow in the Bronson Cemetery.

The family will receive friends from 6:00 until 8:00 Wednesday evening at the Carriage House, 310 S. Main St., Ft. Scott.

Memorials are suggested to the Steve LaRue Memorial Fund and may 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.

Obituary

Obituary of Russell Snyder

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Russell Charles Snyder

March 10, 1935 – October 1, 2022

 

Russell Charles Snyder, 87, of Fort Scott, left this earthly home to join his loved ones in Heaven on Saturday evening, October 1, 2022 at Medicalodges Fort Scott.  He was born March 10, 1935 to Lawrence and Dora (Russell) Snyder at rural Redfield, KS.

 

Russell had many adventures as a young teenager, traveling the country by foot and train, working for various farmers. He married Clara Fern Wise on September 1, 1955. To this union they lovingly added two children, Shelly and Charles.

Through the years, Clara and Russell had many fur babies with which they shared their lives.  They always doted on their fur children and were very saddened when any of them were lost. Russell cherished their memory and loved to talk about them.

Clara preceded him in death on February 25, 2011 and was always fondly spoke of and remembered by Russell.

He served in the Korean War with the United States Army from January 1958 to December 1959 gaining numerous memories from his time stationed there.

He drove an over the road truck most of his adult life, hauling various products and obtaining many stories along the way. Later he worked for Peerless Products of Fort Scott until his retirement at age 62; he then hauled cattle and worked at Fort Scott Livestock Company until his full retirement at age 75.

He very much enjoyed sharing anecdotes of his life and journeys around the country.  There was never a time when visiting with Russell that you didn’t leave without hearing, very colorfully, quite a few of his life reminiscences. He has left his family with a multitude of stories to continue sharing and remembering with joy and laughter, as they hear his voice retelling them repeatedly.

Those left to celebrate his life include a son, Charles and wife Kerri of Fort Scott; a daughter, Shelly Shoemaker of Joplin, MO; four grandchildren, Jordan Snyder, Lakin Snyder, Christopher Snyder, and Jacob Snyder all of Fort Scott; three step-grandchildren, Kori Shoemaker and partner Jerry Morgan, Kyli Gates and husband Jason, and Kade Colegrove all of Fort Scott; one great-grandchild, Oaklynn Snyder of Fort Scott; three step-great-grandchildren, Joeli Morgan, Rystan Morgan, and Breckett Gates all of Fort Scott.  A wonderful friend and neighbor, Fred Mitzner and wife Ermalea of Fort Scott. Along with three nephews and a niece, Rick Snyder and wife Judy of Iola, KS, Wayne Hall and wife Julie of Sedan, KS; Mary Jo Larue of Linwood, KS and Larry Snyder and wife Danita of Pleasanton, KS.

Those Russell joins in God’s loving arms include his wife, Clara; his father and mother; a brother, Lloyd Snyder and his wife Treva; a sister, Marybelle Hall and her husband Joe; two nephews and a great-nephew.

 

Funeral services will be held at 10:30 A.M. Thursday, October 6, 2022 at the Cheney Witt Chapel.

Burial will follow at the Memory Gardens Cemetery. The family will receive friends from 5:00 – 7:00 P.M. Wednesday at the funeral home.

Memorials are suggested to Paws & Claws and may be left in care of the Cheney Witt Chapel, 201 S. Main St. Fort Scott, KS. 66701. Words of remembrance may be submitted to the online guestbook at cheneywitt.com.

 

Bourbon County

No Outside Burning in the County Due to Extremely Dry Conditions

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The Bourbon County Townships, taken from the Bourbon County, KS website.
The Bourbon County Townships, taken from the Bourbon County, KS website.

No hot dog roasts allowed until a significant amount of rain falls across Bourbon County, and no burning trash. However, outside cooking in covered barbeque grills is allowed.

“It’s unfortunate,” said Delwin Mumbower, Bourbon County Fire District #3 Chief said. “My grandkids would like to have a  weinee roast. But the conditions are not right.”

Mumbower asked for and received authorization by the Bourbon County Commission last week to ban all open burning in the county, until a significant amount of rain falls to make conditions less a threat to fires getting out of control.

The City of Fort Scott has already implemented fire restrictions in the city.

The rural fire districts must haul their own water to sites of fires.

“We have to haul water, there are very few fire hydrants in the rural areas,” he said. “There is a concern for the fire districts in the area that once a fire is started, in these extreme dry conditions, a fire is difficult to control.”

The biggest pumper truck they have holds 2,300 gallons, he said.

“Road ditch fires, unexplained fires, are rare except in exceptionally dry times,” Mumbower said. “The last two weeks there have been five unexplained fires.”

There is a concern, for the fire districts in the area, that once a fire is started in these extreme dry conditions, of their ability to control the fire.

There has been little rain since June and the last two months have had above normal temperatures, which has brought the conditions the county faces.

The willful violation of this burn ban, is a misdemeanor and punishable by law, according to the ban the commissioners put in place.

To view the burn ban:

doc03175320220927113432(2)

 

Business, Food, Fort Scott

Possible free pizza for properly functioning smoke alarms: Domino’s Oct. 12

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Local Domino’s® Stores to Partner with Fire Departments to Promote Fire Safety

Residents may receive free pizza for properly functioning smoke alarms

 

JOPLIN, Mo., Oct. 4, 2022 – Domino’s stores in Independence, Fort Scott, and Pittsburg are joining forces with Independence Fire/EMS, Fort Scott Fire Department, Pittsburg Fire Department, and Frontenac Fire Department to promote fire safety. On the days and times below at the mentioned stores, anyone who orders a Domino’s pizza may be randomly selected and surprised at the door when their pizza arrives accompanied by a fire engine. If the smoke alarms in the home are working, the pizza is free. If the smoke alarms are not working, the firefighters will install fully functioning alarms or replace the batteries.

 

  • Oct. 11 from 5-7 p.m.

o   Domino’s in Independence, located at 100 N. 25th

  • Oct. 12 from 5-7 p.m.

o   Domino’s in Fort Scott, located at 2 Jersey St.

  • Oct. 19 and 20 from 7-9 p.m.

o   Domino’s in Pittsburg, located at 716 S. Broadway

 

“Fire safety is extremely important,” said Emily Elwell, owner of Domino’s in Fort Scott, Independence and Pittsburg. “We’re very excited to partner with NFPA and our local fire departments for a program that not only promotes the safety of our friends and neighbors, but rewards those who make fire safety a priority.”

 

Fire Prevention Week is Oct. 9-15. This year’s theme is “Fire won’t wait. Plan your escape™.”

 

“In a typical home fire, you may have as little as one to two minutes to escape safely from the time the smoke alarm sounds,” said Dave Bruner, fire chief with Fort Scott Fire Department. “Escape planning and practice can help you make the most of the time you have, giving everyone enough time to get out. These steps can make all the difference and we hope to raise awareness about them through our partnership with Domino’s.”

 

Customers can call their participating Domino’s location at the numbers below to place their order and be eligible for the fire engine delivery:

 

  • Independence: 620-577-6060
  • Fort Scott: 620-768-5533
  • Pittsburg: 620-231-5555

 

 

About the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)

Founded in 1896, NFPA is a global, nonprofit organization devoted to eliminating death, injury, property and economic loss due to fire, electrical and related hazards. The association delivers information and knowledge through more than 300 consensus codes and standards, research, training, education, outreach and advocacy; and by partnering with others who share an interest in furthering the NFPA mission. For more information, visit www.nfpa.org. All NFPA codes and standards can be viewed online for free at www.nfpa.org/freeaccess.

 

About Fire Prevention Week
NFPA has been the official sponsor of Fire Prevention Week since 1922. According to the National Archives and Records Administration’s Library Information Center, Fire Prevention Week is the longest running public health and safety observance on record. The President of the United States has signed a proclamation proclaiming a national observance during that week every year since 1925. Visit www.firepreventionweek.org for more safety information.

 

About Domino’s Pizza®

Founded in 1960, Domino’s Pizza is the largest pizza company in the world, with a significant business in both delivery and carryout pizza. It ranks among the world’s top public restaurant brands with a global enterprise of more than 19,200 stores in over 90 markets. Domino’s had global retail sales of nearly $17.8 billion in 2021, with over $8.6 billion in the U.S. and over $9.1 billion internationally. In the second quarter of 2022, Domino’s had global retail sales of over $4.0 billion, with over $2.0 billion in the U.S. and nearly $2.0 billion internationally. Its system is comprised of independent franchise owners who accounted for 98% of Domino’s stores as of the end of the second quarter of 2022. Emphasis on technology innovation helped Domino’s achieve more than half of all global retail sales in 2021 from digital channels. In the U.S., Domino’s generated more than 75% of U.S. retail sales in 2021 via digital channels and has developed several innovative ordering platforms, including those for Google Home, Facebook Messenger, Apple Watch, Amazon Echo, Twitter and more. In 2019, Domino’s announced a partnership with Nuro to further its exploration and testing of autonomous pizza delivery. In mid-2020, Domino’s launched a new way to order contactless carryout nationwide – via Domino’s Carside Delivery®, which customers can choose when placing a prepaid online order.

 

Order – dominos.com

Company Info – biz.dominos.com

 

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Area News, Health Care

Nevada Medical Clinic to become part of Nevada Regional Medical Center

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Jason Anglin, CEO of NRMC, announces that after many months of discussions and planning that Nevada
Medical Clinic is to become a part of Nevada Regional Medical Center.
At the August meeting, the Nevada Regional Medical Center board of directors voted to approve the
Nevada Medical Clinic becoming a hospital clinic and to consolidate operations with the clinic and its
physicians. The decision was made after months of research and detailed analysis.
In early 2022, Drs Jennifer Conley and Heather Russell, of the Nevada Medical Clinic approached hospital
administration with their intent to change their business model. They explained that they had explored
options for their future including: closing the clinic and finding new positions elsewhere, acquisition of
the clinic by an outside health system, and acquisition by Nevada Regional Medical Center.
“The medical delivery system and financial structure have changed significantly over the years. Now,
government payments are extremely unfavorable for independent physicians and dramatic increases in
medical liability and health insurance premiums have made continued private ownership of Nevada
Medical Clinic no longer financially viable,” said Dr. Conley.
Nationwide, the percentage of physician–owned practices has steadily declined as more doctors are
seeking employment. “More than half of all physicians in the United States are now employed,” said
Holly Bush, Chief Quality Officer at NRMC. “And that number continues to rise every year.”
“Those physicians who were recruited to Nevada Medical Clinic in the past fourteen years left after
three to five years for employment models,” said Conley. “A large number of local physicians retired
from their practices between 1999 and 2015. This has caused the workforce to decrease from as many
as twelve physicians to the current five. There is no real prospect for adding more physicians without a
change in structure.”
Presented with this dilemma, hospital administrators worked with outside consultants to research the
risk associated with losing the neighboring clinic and to develop a financial analysis to determine the
feasibility of saving the practice.
“What we found in our assessment was that the loss of the Nevada Medical Clinic and its physicians
would be detrimental to healthcare in our community. Strategically, working together with Nevada
Medical Clinic is critical to NRMC. We had to find a way to keep these services here,” said Anglin.
“Acquisition by an outside health system would require the physicians maintain outpatient–only
practices with cessation of obstetric services. Maintaining OB services is essential for NRMC to continue
to qualify for the disproportionate share hospital program (DSH) and for the pharmacy 340B program.
Together those programs provide over $5 million to NRMC every year. A loss of these programs
jeopardizes NRMC survival. Working together with Nevada Medical Clinic physicians allows NRMC to
continue to maintain these essential programs.

From a community service perspective, OB is vital to our community as all of the nearby hospitals have
closed their units. Without OB in Nevada, our residents would have to travel a significant distance to
deliver their babies. It is time to recruit new obstetric physicians for NRMC, but this process is lengthy,
challenging, and very expensive. We cannot let the doctors we have here go, stated Anglin.” The clinic
would also provide NRMC with added space for recruitment of other physicians.
Currently, the long–term care facilities in Nevada rely on the clinic physicians for medical care and
medical directorships. Loss of this coverage could be detrimental to these, already struggling, entities.
The financial pro forma that was developed and presented to the board showed that addition of the
clinic and employment of its physicians and staff is possible for NRMC, even under their current state of
financial strain.
“We will be able to designate the Nevada Medical Clinic as a Hospital Based Rural Health Clinic like our
other campuses,” said Dana White, Chief Financial Officer at Nevada Regional Medical Center. “That
designation is what makes the payment system from Medicare and Medicaid more favorable for a
clinic.”
“Despite our financial position, we are compelled to make this transition with the Nevada Medical Clinic
as we believe it is vital for the future of both organizations,” said Bob Beaver, Chairman of the NRMC
board of directors. “Given the state of today’s healthcare system, this should help sustain great doctors
in our community for many more years and give us the space to recruit more.”
Anglin stated, “We intend to move forward with as little disruption to the patients as possible. We found
that Nevada Medical Clinic was a lean organization that operates very efficiently, which is what made
this possible. It is our intention to continue with what works.”
Nevada Regional Medical Center and Nevada Medical Clinic are targeting for the transition to occur
soon.
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Entertainment, Fort Scott, Fort Scott Chamber of Commerce

Friday Night Free Concert: Wood Family

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Ralph Carlson introduces the Friday Night Concert musicians May 2019.

This week’s Friday Night Concert will be presented by family trio Kevin and Kathy Wood from Prescott, and their daughter Leah Maxfield. The program will feature country and bluegrass gospel. Musician Sandy Hemphill will also join the trio on guitar.

 

“The Wood family started singing in church about twenty years ago. Kevin also plays guitar,” concert-series organizer Ralph Carlson said. “We appreciate the opportunity to promote our local musicians and provide wholesome concerts for the whole family.  Bring a couple of friends and join us a fun evening.”

 

The one-hour concert begins at 7 p.m. at the Heritage Park Pavilion at First and Main streets. The event is free and open to the public. Dave Oas and Jim Butler provide the sound each week. Due to limited seating, attendees are encouraged to bring lawn chairs.

 

In the event of inclement weather, the concert will be moved to The Loading Dock at  Common Ground Coffee Co., 12 E. Wall Street.

Government, Kansas

KS Tax Receipts Growth

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Kansas’ September Total Tax Receipts
$84.5 Million More Than Last September

TOPEKA – Today, Governor Laura Kelly announced Kansas’ September total tax receipts were $961.0 million. Those collections are $96.2 million, or 11.1%, more than the estimate, and reflect a $84.5 million, or 9.6%, growth from last September.

“Thanks to our laser-sharp focus on creating quality jobs and attracting business to Kansas, we have now seen 26 months of revenue surpluses,” Governor Laura Kelly said. “That has enabled us to provide tax credits for teachers and cut taxes for seniors, veterans, homeowners, and businesses – all while paying off debts and fully funding our schools.  These revenue estimates show we are making Kansas the best place to live, work, and raise a family.”

Individual income tax collections were up $31.3 million, or 7.6%, for the month with $441.3 million collected. That is $34.5 million, or 8.5%, more than the same month in 2021. September corporate income tax receipts, which are comprised primarily of estimated tax payments, have continued to trend upward. Corporate income tax collections were $49.2 million, or 40.6%, more than the estimate with $170.2 million collected. That is a growth of $24.9 million, or 17.1%, from the same month last year.

“The higher-than-expected corporate estimated payments suggests that corporations again anticipate favorable profit margins in 2022,” Revenue Secretary Mark Burghart said.

Combined retail sales tax and compensating use collections were $309.6 million, 8.3%, or  $23.7 million, more than last September.

Click here to view the September 2022 tax receipts spreadsheet.

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Government, Kansas

Retail Storefront Property Tax Relief

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Governor Laura Kelly Announces Application for COVID-19 Retail Storefront Property Tax Relief Now Open

TOPEKA – Today, Governor Laura Kelly announced that small businesses can now apply to receive COVID-19 Retail Storefront Property Tax Relief. In June, Governor Kelly signed bipartisan House Bill 2136, investing $50 million to help small businesses recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We’re making sure small businesses can receive the support they need to hire workers, strengthen their products, and better serve their communities,” Governor Laura Kelly said. “My administration will continue to remain laser-focused on creating a stronger, more resilient economy to help every business and every family succeed.”

Businesses can learn whether they qualify for the program and how to access relief by accessing guidance from the Kansas Department of Revenue here.

The COVID-19 Retail Storefront Property Tax Relief Program is funded through the federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), which requires a federal Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) to be completed for a business to be eligible to receive assistance.

“Due to federal requirements, the Kansas Department of Revenue cannot process a retailer’s application for the Retail Storefront Property Tax Relief program unless a business has secured a federal UEI number,” Secretary of Revenue Mark Burghart said. “Doing so helps ensure the program’s guidelines are followed and the accurate accounting for disbursement of funds.”

The UEI is issued at no cost through the federal System for Award Management website, SAM.gov.

Due to recent increases in the number of entities registering with SAM.gov, it may take up to 25 business days for new registrations to be processed. For any issues related to registering with SAM.gov or obtaining a UEI, applicants can contact the Federal Service Desk at 866-606-8220.

Once registration is complete and confirmed, business owners can apply for the COVID-19 Retail Storefront Property Tax Relief Program by going to ksrevenue.gov.

Applicants with questions regarding the COVID-19 Retail Storefront Property Tax Relief Program can contact the Kansas Department of Revenue at 785-368-8660.

Small business owners have until April 15, 2023, to apply for this financial assistance.

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Government, Kansas

Gov. Kelly: Paying Down Debts, Paying Cash For Projects

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Kelly Administration Saves Taxpayers Over $750M by Retiring Debt and

Paying Cash for Projects

~~Fiscal Responsibility is ‘Transformative’ for Kansas~~

TOPEKA – Governor Laura Kelly announced today that actions taken by her administration in Fiscal Year 2022, including paying down debts incurred by the Brownback Administration and paying cash for projects, have saved Kansans $754.2 million in interest payments.

“By prioritizing fiscal responsibility, we have put Kansas back on track and ready for the road ahead,” Governor Laura Kelly said. “My administration has managed our budget wisely in order to save taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars and axe taxes – all while making historic investments in our schools, infrastructure, and law enforcement.”

In Fiscal Year 2022 (July 2021 through June 2022), the Kelly Administration used the budget surplus to retire debt early and pay for projects with cash rather than through issuing bonds. The Administration paid down $1.6 billion in debt, saving $632.0 million in interest payments, and will pay cash for $203.0 million of new capital projects, saving Kansans more than $100 million in interest that would have otherwise accumulated through bonds.

These savings also include saving Kansans $22.2 million in interest by paying off the nearly $100 million of a $200 million transportation bond that was issued in 2012.

“Utilizing our surplus to pay down this level of debt in one year – while simultaneously building our reserves to record levels – is a transformative event,” Adam Proffitt, State Budget Director, said. “This will insulate our budget from potential future economic volatilities, which will provide fiscal stability, allowing us to continue to fund critical services for all Kansans for years to come.”

These savings include paying off debt to KPERS, for the KBI Lab at Washburn University, and for the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility in Manhattan, among others.