Monthly Archives: September 2024

Food, Government, Kansas, Youth

KDA Extends Summer Youth Food Program

Leave a comment

DCF Announces Application Deadline Extension for Summer EBT Program

Application deadline is now 5 p.m. on October 15

TOPEKA – The Kansas Department for Children and Families (DCF) is extending the application deadline for the 2024 Summer EBT program, a new federal program designed to help eligible families offset some of the costs of buying food for their school-aged children during the summer.

Summer EBT, also known as SUN Bucks in other states, is a partnership between DCF, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service, and the Kansas Department of Education. The program provides families a one-time installment of $120 per each eligible school-aged child to buy groceries over the summer. Applications will be accepted through the DCF online self-service portal, dcfapp.kees.ks.gov, until 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2024. Families will need to use their existing account through the DCF self-service portal or create an account to apply.

Since July 2024, about 117,200 students have received the one-time $120 Summer EBT benefit through an auto-issuance, and DCF has received more than 2,000 applications. For families with children receiving food assistance, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), and/or foster care benefits, the Summer EBT benefit was automatically added to existing households’ Kansas Benefits Cards (also known as an EBT card) or loaded onto a Kansas Benefits Card and mailed to the home. DCF estimates there could be more than 100,000 children who did not automatically receive the benefit but may be eligible.

Eligibility:

Children may be eligible for the program if:

  • The child attended a Kansas school offering the National School Lunch or School Breakfast Program, and the household income met the requirements for free or reduced-price school meals at any point during the 2023-24 school year.

Or

  • the school-aged child (7-17 years old) received food assistance, TANF, and/or foster care benefits at any point during the 2023-24 school year. (Summer EBT benefits were auto-issued to these households in July 2024.)

“While Summer EBT is intended to help offset the cost of food during summer break when kids don’t have access to the free or reduced-price meals they get at school, even with children already back in class the program can still provide families with a little extra help in putting food on their tables,” said DCF Secretary Laura Howard. “We hope that by extending the application deadline, more families with eligible children will have the opportunity to apply for this year’s Summer EBT benefit.”

Application:

Families with children who did not receive the Summer EBT benefit by the end of July 2024 should apply through the online self-service portal, dcfapp.kees.ks.gov. The application deadline is 5 p.m. on Oct. 15, 2024.

Learn more about the Summer EBT program at dcf.ks.gov.

Business, Fort Scott, Fort Scott Chamber of Commerce

2024 Downtown Fall Fest!

Leave a comment

2024 Downtown Fall Fest!

The Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce announces a Downtown Fall Fest evening shopping event featuring in-store specials, refreshments and drawings will take place Thursday, September 12th from 5pm to 8pm in the Downtown Historic District.

 

Stores will have festive offerings such as pumpkin snacks, hot cider, and a pumpkin passport to submit for a chance to win a Chamber Bucks gift certificate. Participating retailers open late for shopping include 110 South Main, Be the Light Boutique, Barbed Wire and Roses Vintage Market, Bids & Dibs, Hedgehog.INK! Bookstore, Iron Star Antiques & Such, Laree + Co, and Sunshine Boutique.

 

Additional activities happening in conjunction with Fall Fest include:

·       Brickstreet BBQ will feature musicians Larry Davenport and Mark Ward of Double Trouble, performing live on their patio from 5pm-8pm.

·       Redbud Farms & Nurseries will be selling mums, ornamental cabbage, pansies, and other fall plants in front of Lowell Milken Center.

·       Ronnie Brown of R&B Produce will be selling pumpkins, gourds, and more at Wall and Main Streets.

 

The Chamber also organized a Scarecrow Contest for businesses and encourages the community to check out the entries placed around Downtown. Key Industries sponsored the contest, and the top business winner will receive one dozen logoed shirts and bragging rights for the year. The winner will be announced this week.

 

Downtown Fall Fest offers an opportunity to support local while taking in the season, finding great deals, and seeing what’s new in Fall décor and apparel.

Contact the Chamber of Commerce at (620) 223-3566 for more information.
Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce | 231 E. Wall Street | Fort Scott, KS 66701 US
 
Obituary

Obituary of Penny Rothrock

Leave a comment

Penny Rothrock, 74, of Mulvane Kansas, passed away peacefully at home on September 4, 2024. Born in Missouri, Penny was a loving and devoted mother, grandmother, sister, and friend who touched the lives of many with her kindness and generosity.

Penny was preceded in death by her father Arthur Piper, mother Shirley Kenny, sister Judy Piper, and brother Jerry Piper. She is survived by her brother, Larry (Kathy) Piper, and her two sisters, Nancy Piper and Mary Satterwhite. Penny was also a proud mother of five children: Mike Newberry, Kevin Michael (Ellie) White, Kevin (Mandy) Newberry, Tiffany Berry, and Heather (Josh) Johnson. She was blessed with many grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Penny cherished every moment spent with her grandchildren and her happiest times were those spent surrounded by family.

Penny will be remembered for her determined spirit, her unwavering love, and the countless memories she created with her grandchildren. Her presence will be deeply missed, but her legacy of love and devotion will continue to live on in the hearts of all who knew her.

A celebration of life will be held at 1pm Saturday, September 14th at Gunn Park Shelter #6, Fort Scott, KS.  In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you hold your loved ones close and honor Penny’s memory by sharing love and kindness with those around you.

Church news

Craft Fair At First Southern Baptist Church on September 20-21

Leave a comment
The First Southern Baptist Church, 1818 S. Main.

First Southern Baptist Church of Fort Scott is hosting a Craft Fair with 21 vendors selling their homemade crafts.

The Church is also hosting a Bake Sale at this event to be held on September 20 & 21st from 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. both days.

The Church will be serving Chicken Noodle and Pulled Pork Dinners $10/each, Dine In, Carry Out or even Preorder. To preorder please contact Terri Williams 620-215-3202 or Ida Ford 417-262-3948.

Obituary

Obituary of Doylene Chapman

Leave a comment

Doylene Chapman, age 77, a resident of Ft. Scott, Kansas, passed away Sunday, September 8, 2024, at her home.  She was born November 25, 1946, in Ft. Scott, the daughter of Doyle Monroe Shoemaker and Betty Hathaway Shoemaker.

Doylene graduated from the Arcadia High School with the Class of 1964.  After graduating high school, Doylene married Scott Kennedy.  He preceded her in death in 2004.  She later married Emmett Chapman on July 3, 2010.

Doylene had worked as the office manager for Bourbon County Public Works for several years.  In her spare time, she enjoyed crochet and needlepoint.  She also volunteered with the Mercy Hospital Auxiliary.  Doylene and Emmett enjoyed taking several extended trips to watch their grandchildren’s events.

She was a member of the Freedom Spirit Church.

 

Survivors include her husband, Emmett, of the home; her daughter Stephanie Lockwood of Ft. Scott and four grandchildren, Mackenzie, Brayden, Weston and Everly Lockwood and a step-daughter, Denise Kennedy of California.  In addition to her first husband, Scott, Doylene was preceded in death by her father, Doyle Shoemaker, her mother and step-father, Betty and Perry Dobbins and her brother, Larry Shoemaker.

 

Pastor Matt Kendrick will conduct funeral services at 2:00 P.M. Friday, September 13th at the Cheney Witt Chapel.

Burial will follow in the Large Cemetery.

The family will receive friends from 5 to 7 P.M. Thursday at the Cheney Witt Chapel.

Memorials are suggested to the KU Cancer Center 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.

Bourbon County, Food, Schools, Youth

Hydroponics At Uniontown Junior High: Learning and Growing Produce For The School

Leave a comment
Students in the STEM class plant Swiss chard. L t R: Scarlett McCullough, Catherine Cox, Scout Eden
Students at the rural school in western Bourbon County now have the opportunity to gain knowledge in an up-and-coming farm business, hydroponics.
Alison Weston teaches botany/horticulture at Uniontown Junior High School this year, and as part of this class, hydroponics is being taught.
Alison Weston taken from the U235 Staff Directory.

Hydroponics is the technique of growing plants using a water-based nutrient solution rather than soil,  according to https://www.nal.usda.gov/farms-and-agricultural-production-systems/hydroponics

“As a teacher, I love this unit because it is an awesome way to get kids involved and to grow a love for gardening and planting their own food,” she said. “I love gardening and this is a neat way to integrate that into the curriculum. I’d love to get a greenhouse going at some point.”

The hydroponics farm container on the campus of Uniontown High School. Submitted photo.

USD 235 was the recipient of a hydroponic shipping container farm through a grant awarded to the Kansas Division of Children and Families, USD 235 Superintendent Vance Eden said in a prior interview.

Hydrophonics is Coming to a Local School System

The Community Green Farms of Pittsburg, KS announced on September 11, 2023, that they would receive over $1,000,000 to bring seven southeast Kansas counties a vertical hydroponic container farm.

“The project is called a Leafy Greens Unit,” Weston said.
“The purpose is to help kids appreciate the food they eat and to help kids want to eat healthier by having the chance to grow their own food- there is a correlation between kids growing their own food and then wanting to try it,” Weston said.
Six botany students are involved in the production of greens, and eight students help in the Science Technology Engineering, and Math education class.
From left to right students Bradley Brown, Gus Welch, and Lily Robinson plant Swiss chard in STEM class. Submitted photos.
“The botany students are basically in charge. We are still coming up with a job schedule for them. Every day we take 10 gallons of Culligan Water into the reserve tank. Our city water has a pH that is inadequate, so this was the option chosen to get better quality water to the plants.”
Botany students work on the seedlings. (left to right) Jesse Jones, Colby Herring, Tater (Timothy) Ames, Kassen Woods. Not pictured in the horticulture class is Heston Stewart and Joseph Robinson. Submitted photo.
“We have seedlings that are watered twice a week by bottom-watering, upfront in the unit. They are planted in compressed coconut husks in trays- all soilless. No soil is used. After they have matured,  about 3 weeks, they are transplanted into the towers, which are the vertical hanging towers. There is wicking material that as the watering system from above drips down on the towers, the wicking material soaks it up and drains out of the bottom of the tower. There is a drainage system below the tower so as the whole unit is at a bit of a tilt, the water drains into the reservoir.”
Twice a month someone comes from Leafy Greens in Pittsburg to check on the fertilizers and pH solutions.
” They are diluted into the water and given to the plants throughout the day. The whole system is on an automated timer so it waters every couple of hours and the grow lights are turned on every couple of hours,” Weston said.
The plants are grown vertically. Submitted photo.
The students harvest twice a week and the two cafeterias serve them to the students at lunch.
They have been growing Monte Carlo Romaine and Swiss Chard for a few months.
“Mr. Eden, Officer Trim, and the custodians were taking care of the unit over the summer before I took it over with the botany/horticulture class. We also grow large-leaf basil, and oakleaf lettuce.”
“We are just now starting some experimental plants: eggplant, kale, marigolds, violas, onions, spinach, radishes, beets, and various lettuces.”
They are supplying to the school kitchen currently, but plan to branch out to other businesses soon.
Bourbon County, Food, Fort Scott

Bourbon County Senior Citizens, Inc. receives $5,000 grant from Heartland

1 Comment

 

Bourbon County Senior Citizens, Inc., which helps facilitate the Meals on Wheels program in Fort Scott and surrounding areas, was awarded $5,000 for repairs to their distribution center in historic downtown Fort Scott.

 

The funds will go toward the cost of installing helical masonry ties to secure the building’s brick veneer to the structural frame, which had begun separating due to missing or deteriorated brick ties. With these repairs, the facility can continue to serve as a safe base of operations for the staff and volunteers that package and deliver hundreds of meals each month.

 

The project was among six selected for a total of $29,300 in funding by the Heartland Rural Electric Cooperative Board of Directors through the cooperative’s Concern for Community grant program.

 

“We had a great batch of proposals this year,” said Mark Scheibe, Heartland CEO. “We look forward to working with some outstanding partners to put these funds to work for the good of Heartland members and their communities.”

 

As a non-profit, member-owned cooperative, Heartland issues capital credits to members each year, but sometimes those capital credits go unclaimed. Because those monies were intended to be returned to the communities from which they came, Heartland’s Board of Directors decided to use those unclaimed funds for community grants and started the Concern for Community program in 2019.

 

The Concern for Community program provides grants of up to $5,000 for capital improvement projects throughout the Heartland service area, which covers parts of 12 counties in eastern Kansas.  Capital improvement projects are those that involve investment in structures or equipment that will last for many years.

 

Applications were accepted from June 1–July 31 and selected by the Heartland Board of Directors at their August 23 meeting. Heartland plans to reopen applications in summer 2025 for the next round of funding.

 

This year, six applications out of 30 received were approved for funding by the Heartland board. The other projects selected are as follows:

 

  • Cherokee County Kansas Fair Association, Inc. was awarded $5,000 to help purchase cooling fans for the show barns at the fairgrounds in Columbus.
  • Dream Big Little One Association was awarded $4,300 for repairs and renovations at their distribution center in Columbus.
  • Sugar Valley Lake Homes Association, Inc. was awarded $5,000 toward a playground project at the Sugar Valley/Hidden Valley clubhouse in Mound City.
  • USD 362 Prairie View was awarded $5,000 toward a new childcare center in La Cygne.
  • USD 413 Foundation was awarded $5,000 toward a new animal science learning center at Chanute High School.

 

About Heartland Rural Electric Cooperative, Inc.

Heartland Rural Electric Cooperative, Inc. powers rural lifestyles throughout more than 11,000 locations in eastern Kansas. Heartland’s service area includes consumer-members in 12 counties, including Allen, Anderson, Bourbon, Cherokee, Coffey, Crawford, Labette, Linn, Miami, Neosho, Wilson, and Woodson.

Heartland REC traces its roots back to three original rural electric cooperatives: Cooperative Electric Power & Light Company, Sugar Valley Electric Cooperative Association, and Sekan Electric Cooperative Association. Cooperative Electric Power & Light Company joined with Sugar Valley in 1975 to form United Electric Cooperative; United Electric Cooperative joined with Sekan Electric Cooperative Association in 1996 to form Heartland.

 

Advertisements

AD: Key Industries Is Hiring: Sales and Warehouse

Leave a comment

KEY Apparel is searching for an entry-level Business to Business Junior Sales Professional to join our KEY For Business team.

The focus will be developing KEY’s direct sales customer base, including sales to businesses and government entities.

Warehouse Employees
Looking for ambitious and hardworking individuals who can pay careful attention on the job, follow instructions precisely, and double-check his or her work before completing a task.

Click for job description and instructions on how to apply.

 

Bourbon County, Entertainment, Fort Scott

Auditions for Voices From The Grave Are September 19, 20

Leave a comment

Bourbon County Community Theatre Announces Auditions for Voices from the Grave

 

Bourbon County Community Theatre is holding auditions for Voices from the Grave, an original production based on stories from Bourbon County’s history.

 

Auditions are 6-8 p.m. on Sept. 19 or 20 at the Ellis Fine Arts Center at Fort Scott Community College. Those who audition must be age 14 or over and only need to attend one evening of auditions. Rehearsal times will be scheduled in small groups with the Director, Regen Wells.

 

Voices from the Grave takes place from 6-9 p.m. on Oct. 26 at Riverfront Park in Fort Scott, KS. Guests will enjoy a guided walking tour of short acting vignettes centering around stories of murder and mayhem in Fort Scott. Scenes were written by the students in the Advanced Drama class at Fort Scott High School and are based off of stories from local author Brian Allen’s books about Fort Scott.

 

Tickets are $10 for adults and $7 for students and are available from bcct.ludus.com in Fort Scott. Tour times must be pre-scheduled and run every 15 minutes. Parents must accompany children under the age of 14.

 

More information can be found on the Bourbon County Community Theatre Facebook page or by contacting Wells at 620-215-3510.