Children’s Halloween Parade This Saturday at 10 a.m. in Downtown Fort Scott

Halloween Parade

The Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce announces this year’s Halloween Parade will be held Saturday, October 28th at 11:00 a.m. in Downtown Fort Scott.

Prior to the parade, starting at 10:00 a.m., there will be special activities including pictures with a spooktacular backdrop at the City Scales building on North Main and face painting by Fort Scott High School Thespians.

The parade trick-or-treats merchants along Main Street, starting at La Hacienda, south to 2nd Street, crossing the street then heading north back to Skubitz Plaza. Any businesses or organizations in the community not located along Main Street are also welcome to set up a table on the sidewalk providing treats, coupons, or other handouts for kids. Children are encouraged to bring a sack or bag to collect treats along the parade route.

Following the parade, a free slice of Papa Don’s pizza and a drink will be served to kids in costumes.

The Chamber is currently seeking sponsors and donations for the pizza lunch following the parade.

Contact the Chamber if interested at 620-223-3566

Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce | 231 E. Wall Street, Fort Scott, KS 66701

The Fort is Hosting the Chamber of Commerce Coffee on Oct. 26

ANNOUNCING THIS WEEK’S
CHAMBER COFFEE
Join us for Chamber Coffee hosted by

Fort Scott National Historic Site

Thursday, October 26th

8am

1 Old Fort Blvd

The Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce invites members and guests to a Chamber Coffee this Thursday, October 26th at 8 a.m. hosted by Fort Scott National Historic Site, located at 1 Old Fort Blvd. The Chamber Coffee will be in the park’s Theater on the second floor of the Infantry Barracks just west, to the left, of the Visitor Center. Coffee, juice, and light refreshments will be provided by The Friends of Fort Scott.

 

Fort Scott National Historic Site will be promoting the 42nd annual Candlelight Tour. The tour centers around peace on the frontier with five stops around the site. The entire tour is outside this year, so they encourage visitors to dress for the weather. Tickets go on sale November 1st, Friday tours 6:30-9pm and Saturday tours 5-9pm. Tours start every 15 minutes and last approximately 1 hour. Tickets are $8.00 per person and children 5 and under are free. Contact Fort Scott National Historic Site at 620.223.0310 for more information.

 

Contact the Chamber of Commerce at (620) 223-3566 for more information.

 

Click here for their Facebook Page!

We hope to see you there!

Thank you to our Chamber Champion members
shown below!
FORT SCOTT AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
620-223-3566
Facebook  Twitter
Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce | 231 E. Wall Street, Fort Scott, KS 66701

Holiday Open House Shopping Event Downtown & Around Thursday, November 9th, 5-8 p.m.

 

The Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce announces the Annual Holiday Open House Shopping event, Downtown & Around in Fort Scott.  The main event will take place Thursday, November 9th from 5-8pm with festive refreshments, drawings & deals. Then, most stores will continue Open House on Friday & Saturday, too.

There will be spirited holiday shopping at nearly 20 participating retailers including 110 South Main, Angie Dawn’s Boutique, Barbed Wire & Roses, Bartelsmyers Jewelry, Better in Bourbon, Be The Light Boutique, Bids & Dibs, Flint + Fray, Hedgehog.INK! Bookstore, Iron Star, Laree + Co, Papa Dons, Ruddicks Furniture, Sekan, Shirt Shack, Sunshine Boutique, The Artificers, and The Beauty Lounge.  Drawings, discounts, and treats await, while shoppers find unique apparel, gifts and holiday décor.

Visit fortscott.com or the Chamber Facebook page for more details.  Get out for the Annual Holiday Open House Shopping Event Thursday, November 9th through Saturday the 11th in Fort Scott.

 

U.S. Senator Jerry Moran Newsletter

 

 

 


Capitol Tour
Jill Jones of Prairie Village

Aaron Cain of Spring Hill

Julie Cain of Spring Hill

Jenna Cain of Spring Hill

Wes Cain of Spring Hill

Chelsea Powell of Hays

Tommy Powell of Hays

Thomas Powell of Hays

Lila Montgomery of Hays

Walter Montgomery of Hays

Richard Vohs of Olathe

Amanda Nedved of Lenexa

Adelie Nedved of Lenexa

Avalyn Nedved of Lenexa

Alexa Nedved of Lenexa

Nicole Huff of Cunningham

Fred Frantz of Overland Park

Audrey Frantz of Overland Park

Gabrielle Frantz of Overland Park

Freddie Frantz of Overland Park

Justin Frantz of Overland Park

Oliver Sowards of Olathe

Natalie Sowards of Olathe

Jackson Sowards of Olathe

Reid Sowards of Olathe

Matt Walker of DeSoto

Megan Walker of DeSoto

Lydia Walker of DeSoto

Adalyn Walker of DeSoto

Don Koci of Colwich

Laurie Koci of Colwich

Alvin Neville of Colwich

Karla Neville of Colwich

Ben Marquardt of Overland Park

Caitie Marquardt of Overland Park

American College of Cardiology
Danish Bawa of Overland Park

Rajendran Sabapathy of Overland Park

Ashiya Khan of Overland Park

WTA Advocates for Rural Broadband
David Shipley of Allen

Mark Gailey of Tyro

MKC
Dave Spears of Valley Center

Community Care Network of Kansas
Scott Anglemyer of Shawnee

Sonja Bachus of Topeka

American Association of Crop Insurers
Doug Jakway of Lawrence

CoBank
KC Preisner of Dodge City

American Psychiatric Association
Cord Huston of Lenexa
Kamalakar Surineni of Wichita

National Children’s Alliance
Christian Morgan of Overland Park

Mesothelioma Applied Foundation
Mackenzie Thomas of Lenexa

Tiffany Thomas of Lenexa

CARE USA
Elysia Chao of Lenexa

Leukemia and Lymphoma Society
Jennifer Naylor of Rose Hill

Hannah Soderstrom of Wichita

Heather Soderstrom of Wichita

MOARC
Melissa Sieben of Lawrence

PFLAG
Lisa Wright of Overland Park

Edith Guffey of Lawrence


 

 

 


Recognizing National Down Syndrome Awareness Month
In 1984, President Ronald Reagan designated October as National Down Syndrome Awareness Month, ensuring Americans had an opportunity to celebrate individuals with Down syndrome. This week, I continued the tradition by introducing a bipartisan, bicameral resolution that outlines the improvements made to Down syndrome research and advocacy, the improved quality of live for the Down syndrome community, and commended the efforts of loved ones and caretakers who steadfastly care for individuals with Down syndrome. As co-chair of the Congressional Task Force on Down Syndrome and a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, I am pleased that efforts to increase federal investment in Down syndrome research has significantly improved over the past decade. This month is an opportunity to honor the Down syndrome community, their families and caretakers, and leaders in the advocacy and medical research fields for their work to improve the quality of life for individuals with Down syndrome.

You can watch my floor speech honoring Down Syndrome Awareness Month here.

Image

 

Continue reading U.S. Senator Jerry Moran Newsletter

Gordon Parks Museum Receives a Cross from the African American Methodist Episcopal Church

Shane Walker, left, and Kirk Sharp hold the cross that Walker donated to the Gordon Parks Museum earlier this month. Submitted photol.

Shane Walker, a resident of Fort Scott,  and longtime admirer of Gordon Parks, has donated one of the church crosses that was found in the African American Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church.

The donation was held during one of the Gordon Parks Celebration events on Saturday, October 7, “History of the Hawkins/Plaza School and All-School Reunion.”

The wooden cross stands approximately, 3ft-by-5ft and has fixtures for a lighted bulb display.

“We are so very thankful to Shane for this wonderful contribution to our museum.” said Kirk Sharp, museum, executive director. “This cross is great addition with our other artifacts from the AME Church that includes a stain glass window, church pews, corner stone and much more.”

The AME church was located on the southeast corner of Third and Lowman Streets before it was torn down in 2001. Gordon Parks and his family attended this church regularly. The church was also used in a scene from Parks’ acclaimed film, The Learning Tree.

Improving Kansas Electrical Grid Resilience and Capacity

Governor Kelly Announces Funding for Kansas to Improve Electrical Grid’s Resilience and Capacity

~~Enhancements Targeted to Prepare State for Extreme Weather Events~~

TOPEKA—Today, Governor Laura Kelly announced that Kansas is receiving funding from the U.S. Department of Energy to make the state’s electrical grid more robust and resilient against extreme weather events as part of the Joint Targeted Interconnection Queue Portfolio (JTIQ). The project will coordinate the planning, design, and construction of 5 transmission projects across 7 Midwest states. This investment comes from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Grid Deployment Office and is funded by the federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law

In May, Governor Kelly submitted a letter to U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Granholm in support of this project. Representative Sharice Davids also submitted a letter of support.

“These funds will help modernize Kansas’ power grid to increase energy reliability and efficiency,” Governor Laura Kelly said. “This investment continues our progress on electrical projects and emergency preparedness, protecting the well-being of Kansans around the state.”

“By modernizing our electric grid, we are creating good-paying jobs and ensuring folks across Kansas have access to clean, affordable electricity, even during extreme weather events,” said Representative Sharice Davids (KS-03). “I’m proud to have helped bring these investments home to Kansas through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which continues to make a positive impact on the lives of Kansas families and businesses.”

In addition, the U.S. Department of Energy recently announced multiple projects that will benefit Kansas through the Grid Resilience and Innovation Partnerships Program, including:

  • Wildfire Mitigation and Renewable Energy Access in Western Kansas: Kansas is receiving $96 million through Midwest Energy to rebuild and replace transmission lines. Learn more about this project here.
  • Wildfire Assessment and Resilience for Networks: Kansas is one of 16 states sharing in more than $99 million awarded to Holy Cross Energy for wildfire mitigation. Learn more about this project here.
  • Distribution Automation in Missouri, Kansas, Arkansas, and Oklahoma: Kansas is one of 4 states sharing in more than $47 million awarded to the Empire District Electric Company to improve resilience and upgrade systems. Learn more about this project here.

“These new projects will bring lower energy costs, more reliable energy to the region and create jobs for highly skilled workers in the combined SPP-MISO region,” said Barbara Sugg, Southwest Power Pool President and CEO. “This portfolio represents the first interregional projects for the two regions, allowing both organizations to collaborate on regional reliability risks and pave the way for future projects.”

Additional information about the JTIQ portfolio can be found here.

###

Obituary of Leonard Haulotte

Leonard Dale Haulotte, age 79, a resident of Ft. Scott, Kansas, passed away Monday, October 23, 2023, in Ft. Scott.

He was born May 14, 1944, in Woodstock, Illinois, the son of Leo G. Haulotte and Elaine A. Bogard Haulotte.  Leonard grew up and graduated high school in Woodstock.  While living in Woodstock, Leonard worked as a die maker at Duro Tool & Die.

Leonard married Carol Goodbody on October 20, 1972, in Ft. Scott, Kansas.  They lived in Ft. Scott for a time and later returned to Woodstock where Leonard was again employed by Duro.  In 1987, Leonard and Carol moved back to Ft. Scott, and Leonard owned and operated Haulotte’s Retail Liquor for fifteen years.

Before retirement, Leonard worked as a die maker for Peerless Products in Ft. Scott.  Leonard was a member of the Mary Queen of Angels Catholic Church and the Knights of Columbus.  He was a past member of the Elks Lodge of Woodstock.

 

Survivors include his wife, Carol, of the home; two sons, John Christopher “Chris” Haulotte of Leaf River, Illinois and Matthew Haulotte of Woodstock, Illinois; four grandchildren, John J. Haulotte, Sydney Lang (Jacob), Ben Haulotte and Brandon Haulotte (Morgan) and a great-grandson, Mason Lang.  Also surviving are a sister, Laura Boal (Terry Figard) of Woodstock, Illinois and four nephews.

Leonard was preceded in death by his parents, a sister, Linda Wilson and a brother-in-law, Virgil Boal.

 

Father Yancey Burgess will conduct Mass of Christian Burial at 10:00 A.M. Thursday, October 26th at the Mary Queen of Angels Catholic Church (Kennedy Gym).

The Rosary will be recited at 9:30 A.M. Thursday prior to the Mass.

Following services, there will be cremation.

Burial will take place at a later date at the St. Mary’s Cemetery in Ft. Scott.

Memorials are suggested to the Mary Queen of Angels Building Fund 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.

Community Foundation of Southeast Kansas Awards $5,000 to Bourbon County Daycares

 

 

The Community Foundation of Southeast Kansas (CFSEK) is pleased to announce the recipients of its second round of Making a Difference in Childcare grants. Through a competitive grant process, five daycares in Bourbon County were selected as recipients.

 

“In virtually every community across Southeast Kansas, the need for childcare services remains a prominent topic,” stated Devin Gorman, Executive Director of CFSEK. “Our Board of Directors sought avenues through which CFSEK could offer assistance to our current childcare providers, ensuring the continuity of their crucial services and, ideally, facilitating their ability to accommodate additional children if they have the capacity to do so.”

 

The importance of having quality daycare is paramount to the well-being of a community. The CFSEK Marketing and Asset Development Committee evaluated data from the State of Kansas and Child Care Aware to determine the most critical areas of need. As a result, Bourbon County was selected for the second round of grants.

 

Applicants were asked to identify the areas of greatest need for their children. These daycares want to not only care for their current children but also to expand their reach and capabilities if they are not yet at full license capacity.

 

The following daycares were awarded funds from the Making a Difference in Childcare in Bourbon County grant process:

  • Barbara Baugher Daycare
  • Happy Kids Daycare & Preschool, Inc.
  • Kelly Jean Hall Group Daycare Home
  • Little Blessings
  • Lizzy’s Little Ladybugs Childcare

The CFSEK Board of Trustees and staff are proud to help support childcare efforts in Southeast Kansas. For additional information about CFSEK and its grant opportunities, please visit www.SoutheastKansas.org or call 620-231-8897.

The Beacon: Annual Sign-Up Period Ends This Friday

Dave Gillen is the director of the Beacon. Submitted photo.

The Beacon Food Pantry annual sign-up period continues until Oct. 27 during the hours of 9:15 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.

“Sign-ups must be done by October 27th,” said David Gillen, “There will be no exceptions.”

“You will need to call in advance to the Beacon to set an appointment for one of these days,  our phone number is 620-223-6869,” he said.

“You will need to bring with you,  to qualify for a food card:

“a picture ID for all adults in the household,

“a Social Security card for all in household and birthdates, all dependent children with different names must show full-time parental custody, adoption papers, and must live with you to be on your card.

“Proof of income, pension, retirement, social security disability, VA benefits, unemployment, child support/alimony, and any other income.

“If you receive any services from DCF please bring the verification letter.

“Please have your information with you when you come or you will be turned away and will have to reschedule an appointment.”

During this sign-up, clients may also sign up for the Adopt-A-Child (children’s Christmas present help) and the Elk Club Food Basket (food for the holidays), he said.

Clients are asked to please wear a mask if they have a cough or cold or have been exposed to COVID-19, for the safety of volunteers and staff, and only one person per family in the building at that time.

For those getting food that day, call in advance and your order will be on the back porch for pick-up.

Adopt-a-Child pick-up and  Elk food baskets will be at Community Christian Church on December 15 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Pick-up will be a drive-through, like last year, according to Gillen.

Elk’s baskets will be delivered the Sunday before Christmas.

Clients are asked to please call to set up an appointment as soon as possible, Gillen said.

About the Beacon

The Beacon Food Pantry is a helping organization serving Bourbon County residents since 1985.

The food pantry clients who qualify, according to income,  will receive food assistance twice a month and hygiene products, baby formula, laundry, and dish soap per availability.

“We receive bakery and produce from Wal-Mart on  Mondays Wednesdays and Fridays and clients can shop in the main front lobby but are limited to one bag per family,” Beacon Director David Gillen said.

” The pantry also has a limited number of taxi passes and gas vouchers for doctors appointments,” he said.

Financial assistance, if qualified, is available on rent, utility bills, and prescriptions.

The Beacon is open on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and is closed on Thursdays.

To qualify for a food card, a picture identification must be provided for all adults in the household, a Social Security Card for all in the household, and proof of residence in the county, and proof of income.

“If you receive any services from DCF must provide a copy from them,” according to Gillen.

“To order food or ask for financial assistance you must call ahead,” he noted. All food orders will be put on the back porch due to safety issues.”

To apply for financial assistance  the following is needed:

  • Picture ID for all adults in the house
  • Social Security card for all in-house
  • Proof of Income
  • Reason for the need
  • Fill out the income expenditures form
  • Copy of current bill
  • Proof of Bourbon Co. residency, such as current utility bill, or

And also a bank statement with the current name and address.

 

The building is located at 525 E. 6th Street in Fort Scott.

To contact: 620-223-6869 or

Email    [email protected]

The Beacon is located at 525 E. Sixth Street, Fort Scott.

 

The Bourbon County Commission Minutes of Oct. 16

October 16, 2023                                                                                                                 Monday, 5:30 p.m.

 

The Bourbon County Commission met in open session with all three Commissioners and the County Clerk present.

 

Jason Silvers, Clint Walker, Diane Striler, Dean Striler, Patty Ropp, Dee Yount, Michael Hoyt, Deb McCoy, and Rachel Walker were present for some or all of the meeting.

 

Jim Harris opened the meeting with the flag salute followed by a prayer led by Nelson Blythe.

 

Clifton Beth made a motion to approve the consent agenda which includes approval of minutes from 10/2/23 and 10/10/23, approval of payroll totaling $221,649.43, and approval of accounts payable totaling $297,503.99. Nelson seconded the motion and all approved.

 

Michael Hoyt discussed the prior proposal to commit taxpayer dollars to an ER. Michael asked for an explanation of why the prior emergency rooms failed and questioned the Commissioners decision to postpone repairs in order to pay the proposed $500,000. Mr. Hoyt suggested putting the issue on the ballot for the people to decide how much to spend on an emergency room and whether they want it to be sales tax or bond.

 

Becky Gray, Executive Director of Building Health Inc. which is a non-profit subsidiary of Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas, presented information to the Commissioners about the public transportation services they are now providing in Bourbon County. Dee Yount was also present and he runs transportation services for Community Health Center after they took over the Care Van from Via Christi in November of 2022. Dee explained there is currently one vehicle in Bourbon County with dispatching available Monday thru Friday from 7:30-6:30 for non-emergent transportation. Becky said there is no cost to riders or the community as Dee bills Medicaid and they receive grant dollars. Becky explained they are just asking for a letter of support from the Commissioners to submit with their next grant application. Nelson questioned where the grant was coming from and Becky informed them it is KDOT with federal funds. Jim asked how much the grant is and it was explained that it is for $1,200,000  for several counties. Clifton asked how they are informing the county of the service and Dee stated they are advertising in the newspaper, on Facebook, and the CHC center as well as distributing cards and notifying businesses. Clifton made a motion to sign a letter of support for the Care Van transportation service. Nelson seconded the motion and all approved.

 

Diane Striler with Christmas on the Bricks explained they are trying to elevate Fort Scott by taking things already here and making them better to make something for the community to enjoy and bring people in to stay and shop. There will be a candlelight tour from November 30th through December 3rd, a parade on Thursday, a tree lighting ceremony with children singing and fireworks, a live nativity scene by Bethel Church, stores will be open late, there will be firepits designed by Neice and supervised by the Boy Scouts, pictures with Santa throughout the weekend, wooden booths on Wall Street where vendors will offer various items including selling shirts and ornaments commemorating the event, there will be a gingerbread decorating contest, horse-drawn carriage rides, historic tours, and a downtown tree decorating contest for businesses to compete in. Diane stated a lot of people are helping out but that it takes a lot to put on an event of this caliber. They want to make things affordable for families and are designing the booths and other items that used to be disassembled so they can be used in future years. There has been fundraising done for the event, several businesses are sponsoring, they received a Community Foundation grant for $2,000, have applied for a Wal-Mart grant, and have reached out to Craw-Kan and Evergy.  Diane asked for $2,500 from Bourbon County to go toward this event that will hopefully be a great thing for everybody here. Jim said it certainly sounds like a great event. Diane said they have worked hard to get different events to bring in more people. Nelson said he would do a private donation later but doesn’t want to use taxpayer dollars. Nelson made a motion to decide if we participate and Jim asked Clifton if he wanted to think about it and Clifton said yes. The motion died due to a lock of a second. Jim asked that Diane give them a week to decide and look at finances.

 

Eric Bailey, Public Works Director, said the asphalting on 233rd Street is now complete and they are waiting on chips and will start at Garland as soon as they have enough. A belt on the conveyor broke and was repaired but then the generator went down but they anticipate having it fixed tomorrow and will start crushing. They will start in Garland ½ mile east of the railroad tracks and will try to get a mile completed on Eagle Road. Eric said they will start prepping the road which will be a inconvenience, but will be worth it in the end. The crew will replace culverts in the area and will notify the public if the road will be closed. There was a dip on the bridge near 215th Street and Valley Road which has been fixed with asphalt. Clifton said he drove over the bridge today and thanked Eric’s crew as he said it couldn’t be done any better. Jim asked if the dip was due to a culvert and Eric said they had it looked at atnd it was due to the extreme dry weather. Eric said they are still out mowing roads, repaired a guardrail on a bridge located on Osage Road between 235th street and 69 Highway, and cleared out silt from a bridge at 85th Street and Xavier Road. Eric stated last meeting Nelson questioned a 4-way stop at 85th Street and Kansas Road so he drove the area and there are some blind spots and several areas of concern so he would not be opposed to a 4-way stop. Clifton said he is all for stop signs as his son was in a wreck where there was a blind spot and is for speed limits on gravel roads too. Nelson made a motion to make 85th Street and Kansas Road a 4-way stop. Clifton seconded the motion and all approved. Eric asked for citizens to call himself or the Commissioners if there is a road complaint instead of posting on social media. Eric said if they don’t know of the issue, they cannot fix it. Eric said he can be reached at 215-5183, [email protected], and there is even a spot on our website where a road issue can be submitted and will be sent to himself and the Commissioners.

 

Jennifer Hawkins, County Clerk, asked about designating Bourbon County voting delegates for the upcoming Kansas Association of Counties meeting in December. It was decided to make Jim the voting delegate for Bourbon County with Clifton then Nelson listed as alternate delegates. Jennifer said early voting will start on October 26th and would like to use the Commission room again this year as it works better than setting up the booths in hallway. Jennifer said she could set the chairs up in front of the voting booths for the October 30th meeting. The Commissioners agreed to allow early voting in the Commission room again this year.

 

Susan Walker, CFO, asked how the Commissioners would like to handle the June/July SEHP employer contribution and said she just needs to know by next June. Susan asked for a 5-minute executive session.

 

Clifton made a motion to go into a 5-minute executive session under KSA 75-4319 (b)(1) to discuss personnel matters of individual nonelected personnel to protect their privacy to include all three Commissioners and Justin Meeks and will return at 6:20. Nelson seconded the motion and all approved. Clifton made a motion to resume normal session at 6:20 with no action. Nelson seconded the motion and all approved.

 

Shane Walker requested a 5-minute executive session.

 

Clifton Beth made a motion to go into a 5-minute executive session under KSA 75-4319 (b)(4) to discuss data relating to financial affairs or trade secrets of corporations, partnerships, trust and individual proprietorships to include all three Commissioners, Shane Walker, Justin Meeks, and Susan Walker and will return at 6:27. Nelson Blythe seconded the motion and all approved. Clifton made a motion to resume normal session at 6:27 with possible action. Nelson seconded the motion and all approved.

 

Shane Walker said Golden Arrow Corporation, a local builder, met with the state about a tax program that gives a tax reimbursement to the builder at 80% for 20 years for new homes and said all he needs from the county is a letter of support. Jim asked if it was a letter of support for new housing and Shane said it would be a letter of support for him applying for tax credits and reimbursement. Shane said the homes that would be built would be around $215,000. Jim asked if without this state incentive program would he build. Shane said it is something other builders could apply for. Nelson asked if he would be getting a tax credit if he builds the house. Shane explained he has to build the house to the standards of the state program and would receive the tax credit and the other is once the house has been sold and is on the tax roll. Nelson suggested the builder come and present information about the houses. Clifton asked if it would affect the MIH since to his understanding, we can only support one as a county. Shane said the City of Fort Scott will be discussing this matter tomorrow at their meeting and Clifton suggested waiting to ensure this will not affect the support that we have already given to MIH. Jim agreed and feels the contractor should come in and discuss the project and do some research to see if it would affect MIH. It was decided to wait to see what the City of Fort Scott does at their meeting tomorrow.

 

Jim requested a 15-minute executive session.

 

Clifton made a motion to go into a 15-minute executive session under KSA 75-4319 (b)(1) to discuss personnel matters of individual nonelected personnel to protect their privacy to include all three Commissioners and Justin Meeks and will return at 6:54. Nelson seconded the motion and all approved. Clifton made a motion to resume normal session at 6:54 with no action. Nelson seconded the motion and all approved.

 

Nelson said he wonders what people want to do and questioned if they want to spend $500,000 for an emergency room. Jim stated it is either spend $500,000 for an emergency room or spend at least that for more EMS. Jim said he has heard from  a lot of people and they are mainly of yes and a few no. Clifton said he has heard a lot of support. Nelson questioned about next year and asked if we should throw good money after bad. Clifton said healthcare is pay to play and that there will have to be a subsidy by the city, county, or REH. Clifton addressed Michael’s comment that we failed three times with an emergency room and said we succeeded for years with Via Christi. Clifton also said if we would have kept the building, we would have had to spend at least $2,000,000 on it. There have been comments made online about putting an EMS station in western Bourbon County and Clifton stated that would cost at least $1,000,000. Jim reiterated Clifton’s comment that there would have to be a subsidy by someone. Jim informed the County Clerk and Susan Walker to issue the budgeted longevity around Thanksgiving as we did last year.

 

Clifton made a motion to adjourn the meeting at 7:04. Nelson seconded the motion and all approved.

 

THE BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS

OF BOURBON COUNTY, KANSAS

___________________, Chairman

___________________, Commissioner

ATTEST:                                                                                                    ___________________, Commissioner

 

Jennifer Hawkins, Bourbon County Deputy Clerk

10/23/2023                                    Approved Date

FS Youth Tigers Play Wednesday, Oct. 25

The stage is set yet again! The Fort Scott Youth Tigers have worked so hard to get back to the championship.
They earned to right to have home-field advantage! Let’s give it to them Wednesday evening.
Let’s show up and support the youth and help them to victory!
LOUD AND PROUD! SEA OF RED!!!
We will have concessions, cheerleaders, fireworks!!!!
FREE TO ENTER!!!
Tell a friend and bring a friend. Lets pack that stadium for these young men!!!!
7:00 PM KICKOFF!!!!