All posts by Loretta George

Business, Food, Fort Scott

Star Emporium Downtown General Store To Open Early Next Year

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A1 Towing and Moving, Fort Scott, move shelving into the new grocery store in November 2020. The store will be located in the Old Kress Building, at 17 S. Main.

The new grocery store in downtown Fort Scott is progressing.

 

“Lots of things have fallen into place really well and a few things have been a struggle due to long lead times due to COVID-related manufacturing delays,” said Bill Michaud, of BAJA Investment, the owner.  “The most significant delays have been the mechanical components for the refrigerators and freezers. The final pieces of the equipment order won’t be arriving until January 4th.”

 

This sets the opening back a little.

 

“Before this delay, we had anticipated opening Dec 29th but because of this delay we now expect to open either January 8 or 11,” Michaud said. “The final decision on the actual opening date will be made as we get closer.”

Store hours will be 8 am – 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 9 am – 6 pm on Sunday.

 

“We will offer online ordering,” he said. ” Our website is still under development, but we will be activating our Facebook page in the next day or two.”

 

The store has a name and it was inspired by a downtown mural.

 

“The store name will be the Star Emporium Downtown General Store,” Michaud said.

 

This name was inspired by a mural on Skubitz Plaza on the north side of a building facing the Fort Scott National Historic Site.

 

“While we know that the original Star Emporium was a clothing store, the mural boasts that the Star Emporium was ‘the most unique shop in the land of oz’,” Michaud said. “We believe this store will be unique and serve a broad base of community needs.”

 

Products at the store will evolve, he said. Currently, they range from budget-conscious to specialty label food items.

 

“We will offer a very broad range of products ranging from budget-focused brands all the way to very high-quality specialty and private label products that people can’t get anywhere other than our store,” Michaud said. ” We understand people need to stretch their food dollar in these tough times so we are going to be very value-conscious in our pricing. We recognize that our product offering is going to evolve to suit the needs of our customers.”

 

Local producers and suppliers will feed into the store.

 

“In addition to recognized branded products we are also working with a variety of small local producers and suppliers including Bourbon County beef from Bronson Locker, several local produce growers, Good Natured Family Farms. We hope to continue to develop additional partnerships as we go along and continually adapt to the needs of our customer base.”

 

“In addition to our produce co-op and grocery options the store will also feature a large salad bar and deli which will also utilize as many fresh local ingredients as are available,” he said. ” The deli menu will be seasonal and offer 5 – 6 rotational feature sandwiches, wraps, and specialty items.”

 

Food insecurity is addressed in the venture.

 

“While the grocery store and deli will provide sustainability for our operation, one of the driving factors behind the community need for the store was the food insecurity and need for community-based food distribution programs,” Michaud said. ” We have reached an agreement with the Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas to provide food storage space to expand the food distribution and delivery programs they currently offer in Crawford County into Fort Scott. These services will also begin in January.”

 

BAJA Investments was granted SPARK funds for $450.000 for the project. SPARK grants were a part of the monies given Kansas from the federal government to help with the on-going effects of COVID-19.

Kress Building, 17 S. Main, August 2020.

The second floor of the building houses the offices of B-WERC.

B-WERC is a multi-partner collaboration of the Bourbon County Commission, the Kansas Small Business Development Center, Southeast KANSASWORKS, Fort Scott Community College, the Healthy Bourbon County Action Team, the Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce, and BAJA Investments. The center focuses on growing and sustaining businesses, connecting jobs, and serving people.

The B-WERC program is funded through the Federal Cares Act Relief, dispersed to the county from the state in SPARK Phase 1, to address current and immediate COVID related needs. These include assisting businesses, encouraging economic activity, and addressing unemployment, according to Jody Hoener, spokesperson for the program in Bourbon County.

 

 

Fort Scott

Ellis Park Playhouse Vandalized This Past Weekend

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The playhouse at Ellis Park was vandalized this past weekend. Submitted photo.

Vandalism occurred at an Ellis Park playhouse for children sometime between Dec. 11 and 12.

 

“I discovered it on Saturday afternoon. I went there to get measurements to make roof repairs,” said Seth Needham, an organizer of the Citizens for Park Improvement group.  “We assumed the original damage to the roof was wind damage.”

 

However, Needham heard from multiple people that some kids were bragging to their friends about tearing up the roof several weeks ago.

 

“Friday night they just finished what they started,” he said.  “It also sounds like they may be responsible for the damage to the picnic tables, but there is no way to verify that because it’s hearsay.”

 

Needham also just recently became a member of the newly formed Fort Scott Park Advisory Board, organized by the city commission.

 

As a volunteer worker, he went to Ellis Park on Saturday to get measurements for some minor repairs, and discovered the damage, he said.
“I contacted Mike Braim, because he had been gathering materials to make repairs,” Needham said. “We met down there to survey the damage and see if it could be saved.”
“I posted a video of the aftermath to Facebook to try to get support for materials,” Needham said. “Shortly after that, I received a message with the video of the boys tearing it up. A parent of another teen who was not involved saw the video on her son’s Snapchat, and thankfully decided to save it.”
The Fort Scott Public Works Director was sent the video of the youth vandalizing the playhouse, as well as two Fort Scott City Commissioners, he said.

The FS Public Works Director Chad Brown did not want to comment on this particular case at Ellis Park since it is still being investigated, he said.

 

“But vandalism is a problem in our world, not just in Fort Scott but everywhere,” Brown said. ” Vandalism costs the taxpayers on so many levels you often have to wonder if the cost of having or re-building these things is worth it. Here in Fort Scott, we do not have much to begin with, so we as a community need to make sure that we are trying to take care of the amenities that we do have.”

 

Brown said the city is working to add security to the parks.

 

“In the future, we will be installing security cameras at various locations across the parks and other areas to make sure we can keep these things in as good a shape as we can and hopefully prevent this type of activity in the future,” Brown said.

 

“I would also like to see cameras installed at our parks, so if this happens again, people can be held responsible,”Needham said.  “Cameras are something we did discuss at the last parks advisory board meeting. Vandalism has been a huge issue in our parks this year.”
The vandals tore off the roof, siding, and trim, Needham said. “They were on video destroying the floor for the second story. They broke the steps inside. They tore up the gables and ripped off 90% of the exterior trim.”
The picnic table that was vandalized at Ellis Park. Submitted photo.
“We decided to try and rally community support to save it, because the damage was so widespread the material list was more than we could afford ourselves,” Needham said.
After an assessment to repair the damaged playhouse, Needham said the following work is needed.
  • New roof, including rafters, shingles, sheathing.
  • New floor joists and sheathing for the second story floor.
  • New stairs to the second story.
  • Exterior trim on corners and gables
  • Window trim.
  • Siding
“The plan is to move it to Gunn Park where it can be watched over and better maintained,” Needham said.
The following photos were submitted by Needham of the playhouse at Ellis Park.

 

 

 

Bourbon County, Business

BEDCO: Consolidating Services In The County

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Gregg Motley. Submitted photo.

A local non-profit group was reorganized this fall and is seeking ways to consolidate public services in the county to save money.

The Bourbon County Economic Development Council, BEDCO, has been around for 28 years. But recently the 501c-3 non-profit organization has been “reconstituted”, according to Gregg Motley, president of the group.

Incorporated towns in the county, and entities such as school districts were asked to provide a representative to the council.

They had their first meeting as a new council on Oct. 22.

“At that first meeting, several communities hadn’t finalized their choice of representation,” Motley said.

They met again in November, then last week.

Motley was chosen as the president of BEDCO on Dec. 3. At that time Jim Fewins was selected as vice president and Mary Pemberton as treasurer.

“No one as yet has taken the secretary position, I am doing double duty,” Motley said.

Following the Dec. 3 meeting, “Assignments were given,” Motley said. “We won’t meet again until January. There is a lot of work behind the scenes in those assignments to be completed.”

 

BEDCO in the past

 

Representing the Fort Scott Chamber of Commerce, Motley was a member of the group before it was “reconstituted”, along with current members Fort Scott City Commissioner Randy Nichols and Bourbon County Commissioner Lynn Oharah.

 

“The focus had narrowed,” Motley said. “We wanted broader representation and focus in the county.  They had become focused on the industrial park in Fort Scott.”

 

BEDCO in the future

 

A committee was formed earlier in the year, led by Mark McCoy.

 

“What was left of BEDCO considered consolidating services in the county and they formed a committee to look into it,” Motley said.

 

“We discovered a lot of distrust between the rural and city populations,” Motley said. “Our conclusion was it’s not possible to look at consolidating government, but could look at consolidating services.”

 

“We talked to people around the county who observed there was a duplication of economic development directors,” he said. “The City of Fort Scott and Bourbon County Commission both had economic directors. Our committee suggested we start there, to serve all the county.”

 

Consolidation of the economic development directors would include sharing of costs and reducing overall investment, he said.

 

“More effort, less money,” Motley said.

 

“Economic development would be consolidated into one position and employed by BEDCO,” he said. “We would hire that person and there would be an office. We are going to take our time. We are close to having a job description and a human resource routine for that position.”

 

Not all on board

 

The Bourbon County Commissioners agreed to buy-in on the idea by appropriating money to a future position and eliminating their economic director’s position when that happens, Motley said.

 

“The City of Fort Scott has not taken up the issue,” Motley said. “It did not appear they had any interest in giving up their economic director position. My hope is they will get behind this effort.”

 

 

Following is a list of the current BEDCO members:

Lynne Oharah, Randy Nichols, Jess Ervin,  Mike Blevins,  Michael Stewart,  Mary Pemberton, Misty Adams,  Ted Hessong,  Bret Howard, Jim Fewins,  Gregg Motley, Mark McCoy,  and Heather Davis.

Bourbon County, Government

Bourbon County Commission Minutes of Dec. 1

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December 1, 2020                                           Tuesday 9:00 am

 

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

 

Also present were the following, (some were present for a portion of the meeting, some were present for the entire meeting) Jason Silvers with the Fort Scott Tribune,

Clint and Rachel Walker, Jessie Walker, Anne Dare, Mark McCoy and Dale Arnold.

 

Eric Bailey met with the Commissioners; the Commissioners told Eric Bailey to contact KCAMP regarding applying for the $2,000 grant to be used for the repair of a tarp used on the hauling trucks.

 

Eric Bailey said there are 17 bridges due for inspection; he said Schwab Eaton will provide a proposal for the inspections.  He said he would talk to them about the needed repairs for a bridge North on 69 Highway.

 

Eric said he has asked a contractor to give a quote on repairs for a guardrail south of Soldier Road on the old highway that was damaged in a hit and run accident.

 

Jeff Fischer said he would provide Eric Bailey contact information for the Federal Fund Exchange Program so that he can apply for grant money for the blasting work that was done at the Shepherds Quarry.

 

Eric reported that there may be a landowner contact the Commissioners regarding a road that has been closed at 45th & Unique; he said they may be coming to re-open the road since their property is landlocked.

 

Eric said that Phoenix Coal Company has petitioned to close out their mining operation; he said Phoenix Coal had 4-6”of gravel placed on the road in the area, Eric said it appears there are ditches in the area and said that portion of the road is better than the portion going south of there, he felt the road met or exceeded the requirements; Justin Meeks said he had reviewed the release for Phoenix Coal Company.  Jeff made a motion to sign the release for Phoenix Coal Company (regarding an area on 260th) and said they had met the contractual requirement, Clifton seconded the motion and all approved and Lynne signed the release.

 

Eric reported that the exhaust manifold had cracked on a dozer; he said he is trying to find someone to weld this; he thanked the City of Fort Scott public works department for diagnosing what the problem was.

 

Eric reported they had cross trained an employee from the quarry to do grader work.  Jeff suggested using the gravel road maintenance manual as a reference for the road grader operators.

 

Eric said the beavers had built dams in the culverts at Range and 235th; he said the City of Fort Scott helped blow open the culvert pipes.  Jeff described a process that could be used to remove blockages in the culverts; Lynne said a lot of the culverts are blocked due to a lack of ditches.

 

Jeff made a motion to go into a 7 minute executive session for consultation with an attorney for the body or agency which would be deemed privileged in the attorney-client relationship, the session will be located in the old I/T office and the Commissioners will convene back in the Commission room when the session is over, Clifton seconded and all approved, (the session included the Commissioners, Eric Bailey and Justin Meeks).  Jeff made a motion to go back into session, Clifton seconded and all approved.

 

Lynne reported that the road is a mess (due to clay in the road) on 95th south of Soldier Road; Eric Bailey said due to the way the fiber optic was installed in the road, this will be an ongoing issue.  Jeff suggested re-visiting the right-of-way policy and to have a bond in place prior to someone doing work on a County road; Eric said we already have this requirement, but said we will need to hold the companies accountable for this.

 

Eric said they have a grader broken down.

 

Monica Murnan (by phone) met with the Commissioners regarding the Spark grant funds.  Lynne said there will be $11,815 leftover funds that will need to be allocated, he said it was suggested to use these funds for contact tracing, Jeff said USD234 requested a contact tracer and said two people had been hired to do contact tracing.  Jeff said Tri-Valley had requested $5,900 in Spark funds, it was stated that the County I/T could use the funds for a broadband project.  Monica said she was hesitant to bring in an entity that didn’t go through the original application process, (she said Tri-Valley did not go through the original application or MOU process), she said the original process was very transparent.  Monica said the Health Department’s request is a direct COVID expense, Rebecca Johnson from the Health Department said they could also use funds for the COVID vaccination process.  Jeff made a motion that the $11,815.57 be assigned to the SEK Multi County Health Department for the purpose of contract tracing (both payroll and supplies needed for contact tracing) due to COVID, Clifton seconded and all approved.  Monica said there is still approximately $40,000 remaining of the appropriated money to Greenbush for administrative fees; she felt they should let William Wallis use this money to purchase COVID PPE supplies.  Clifton made a motion that the remainder of the administrative funds be directed towards William Wallis for PPE, Jeff seconded and all approved.  Monica said they are still trying to gather approximately $1 million worth of receipts from Spark grant recipients’.

 

Jessie Walker met with the Commissioners regarding Unique Road west of 95th; he said he met with the Commissioners a few years ago where they discussed if it was an open or closed road.  He said a few years ago the County bladed the road and provided the Commissioners with a case from the Supreme Court where there was a ruling that if a road had been maintained by a County then it would be required to be an open road, but said that didn’t mean they would have to keep the road maintained.  Mr. Walker asked that the road be graded or maintained a few times each year.  Justin Meeks said they started this process two years ago and said in 1986 the County re-did their maps, he said they have a lot of roads that they were unsure of if they were vacated or not.  Justin said in 1986, there were public hearings held about roads that were opened or closed.  Justin said they are looking for a Resolution from 1986 and said then the Commissioners can decide whether or not to maintain the roads.  Mr. Walker said he had a load of gravel put on this road and asked what his liability was for doing this.  Justin said there is a process to petition to have a closed road opened.

 

The Commissioners discussed the OMNI lockbox option; Justin said adding a new endeavor would create a new universal position and that position could do the work regarding a new building, accounts receivable and budgets, HR director functions, business management, medical mall; Jeff said OMNI had been contracted to do the EMS billing, but said the universal position could possibly do the billing.  Lynne made a motion that he be allowed to work with Justin Meeks to come up with a comprehensive list of items for this job description, Jeff seconded and all approved.  The Commissioners recently hired a 1099 person to do the EMS receivables.  Lynne said they could identify different areas where they could save money by hiring a universal employee.

 

The Commissioners discussed the holiday gift cards for County employees; Jeff said he had received feedback that employees were in favor of supporting local businesses, Lora Holdridge said getting Chamber Bucks helps local businesses and helps the Chamber.  Jeff made a motion to select Chamber Bucks for the holiday gift cards, and that each employee (non-elected, elected, part-time and full-time, with the exception of the Commissioners) receive $25 worth of Chamber Bucks, Clifton seconded and all approved.

 

The Commissioners discussed the proposed longevity pay; Jeff said the County currently has longevity pay plan, he said some employees have worked for the County more than one time, he suggested taking the prior service time and combining it with current service to come up with the total years of service.  Jeff suggested doing $100/year for year 5 and on.  $51,000 has been budgeted for 2020 for the one-time longevity pay.  Jeff said this is a one-time payout, but said if the County could afford it in future years it could be paid out with each paycheck.  Bobby Reed questioned if the employees would still receive their current longevity pay; the Commissioner said yes, Bobby asked if department heads came to the Commissioners with future budget requests asking for a wage increase for employees if they would be told they were given longevity pay instead of a raise; Lynne said the discussion of the longevity pay instead of a wage increase was never discussed.  Jeff made a motion to do a one-time longevity payout, in addition to the current longevity pay, of $100/year of service beginning at year 5 with the effective date of 12/31/2020, excluding elected officials, (5 years of service as of 12/31/2020 = a one-time $500 longevity payout) to be paid by 12/31/2020 on a separate check and to include prior years of service, Clifton seconded, it was stated that an elected official doesn’t qualify, but if in the future they came back to work for the County as a non-elected employee, they would have elected and non-elected years of service combined, all approved the motion.

 

Clifton made a motion to go into a 20 minute executive session for confidential data relating to financial affairs or trade secrets of corporations, partnerships, trusts and individual proprietorships, and reconvene in the Commission room, Jeff seconded and all approved, (the session included the Commissioners and Justin Meeks).  No action was taken.

 

Clifton made a motion to go into a 24 minute executive session for confidential data relating to financial affairs or trade secrets of corporations, partnerships, trusts and individual proprietorships, and reconvene in the Commission room, Lynne seconded and all approved, (the session included the Commissioners and Justin Meeks).  Clifton made a motion to go back into session, Jeff seconded and all approved.

 

Lynne made a motion to amend the agenda to discuss department head salaries, Clifton seconded and all approved.  Lynne said the 2021budget included raises for two employees in the Correctional Center and for the I/T department, he said they needed to do a salary resolution for the increases.  Lynne made a motion to give the two employees in the Correctional Center (major and captain positions) a 10% increase and to give the I/T person a $10,000 raise in 2021, Clifton seconded and all approved.  Lynne said these positions weren’t given a raise last time and said they had given the I/T person a lot more responsibility and said they expect that job function to increase.

 

At 12:16, Clifton made a motion to adjourn, Jeff seconded and all approved.

 

THE BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS

OF BOURBON COUNTY, KANSAS

(ss) Lynne Oharah, Chairman

(ss) Jeff Fischer, Commissioner

(ss) Clifton Beth, Commissioner

ATTEST:

Kendell Mason, Bourbon County Clerk

December 8, 2020, Approved Date

Opinion

Christine’s Place by Patty LaRoche

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Patty LaRoche

“We are blessed so that we will bless others.”

Jenn, a mutual fund expert, teared up when sharing that phrase that she had heard from a Colorado pastor. “Which is why we are here.”

I was in Kansas City for a workday to begin cleaning up a strip of buildings being converted to a shelter for prostitutes/trafficked women. For several months, my son, Adam, and his family have been involved with others like Jenn and her husband, Jared, in procuring a house to serve as a safe home for these women to be “loved on.” Just when they thought they had found the perfect place, doors would close and they would start searching again.

That’s when Jenn and Jared begin driving around Kansas City’s roughest neighborhoods where they observed prostitutes working. They wanted their facility to be in the heart of that area, so when they saw a “For Sale” sign on a group of dilapidated buildings, they got excited. A tour of the stores and apartments above reeked of danger, as floors were falling in and little was salvageable. To the trafficking team, it was loaded with potential, an opportunity for God to work.

Jenn spoke to me of the time when she and Jared were in front of their new purchase and watched a decked-out truck pull up to the curb; the driver kicked (literally) a woman onto the sidewalk, her pants around her ankles. A twelve-year old neighbor boy saw her lying there, battered and bruised, and ran inside his house to grab a blanket to cover her. She became one of the first people tended to and loved on by the young couple–confirmation to Jenn that God was blessing their dream and they were in the right neighborhood.

To Jenn, even Covid was a blessing. Normally she spends her weeks on a plane, flying around the country, but when she no longer could do that, she had time to spend on this endeavor. Jenn continued, “God did what only He does best.”

Volunteers began lining up to help, a church made a donation, a medical team signed on, and soon a “Christine’s Place” banner hung between two upstairs, painted windows. Literally, painted windows. When the glass broke years ago, instead of replacing it, the owner covered the holes with plywood and had windows painted on.

I met Christine yesterday. A recovering prostitute, she showed up, decked out in her Sunday finest and escorted by an elderly gentleman, her arm linked in his. Christine used to “work” that street until she was beaten so badly that she quit. She became pregnant, and her sight began failing. The doctor gave her a choice: use the medicine, save the eye but lose the baby, or lose the eye and save the baby. She chose the latter and gave her baby daughter up for adoption. Her second pregnancy offered her the same choice. Again, she chose blindness over abortion and today is completely blind. Her fourteen-year old son lives with her.

Some news stations were there to do a story on “Christine’s Place” and were amazed to see the number of men and women giving up their Saturdays to use their expertise to make this dream a reality. Christine was an instant hit, as were the carpenters, back-hoe drivers, donated clothes’ folders, and clean-up crew. From 10 years old to 84, people were there to help.

During this Christmas season, I pray that we all recognize that Jenn’s words are the formula for how we are to live our lives: “We are blessed so that we will bless others.”

May we all find a way to put those words into action.

Bourbon County, Business, Fort Scott

Local Optometrist Dr. Holloway Retires

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Dr. Randall Holloway taken from Facebook.
Randall R Holloway, 65, retired from his optometric practice after 38 years, on Sept. 12, 2020.
His office was located at 4 S. National, just in the back of the Boiler Room  Brewhaus.
Holloway’s first day on the job was July 22, 1982, he said.
Holloway sold his practice to Kannarr Eye Care and it’s now known by that name.
Paula Brewer and Lisa Peck, former employees of Holloway, now work for Kannarr Eye Care.
The phone number remains 223-0850.
Hours of the office are 8 a.m to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. The office is closed from noon to 1 p.m. for lunch.
“Their main office is in Pittsburg Kansas,” Holloway said.  “The  doctors coming to the Fort Scott location are Dr. Shane Kannarr, Dr. Chris Jacquinot, and Dr. Katie Painter.”
“Some employees come from the Pittsburg office,” Lisa Peck said.
Since retiring in a pandemic, Holloway said he is trying to stay healthy.
“Currently, my time is taken up by golf, exercise, and trying to stay healthy,” he said.  “Next year we will be getting the Covid-19 vaccination as soon as possible, which will allow us to travel to Shoreline, Washington to visit our grandchildren.”
Ascension Via Christi, Bourbon County, COVID-19, Health Care

Via Christi Receives SPARK Funds For COVID-19 Staff and Drugs

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Via Christi’s Emergency Department in Fort Scott.

Recently over 100  Bourbon County businesses, organizations, school districts, churches and other categories of entities received  SPARk Grants to help with COVID-19 expenses.

The see the whole list of recipients, click below:

https://fortscott.biz/news/spark-projects-in-bourbon-county

 

The Strengthening People and Revitalizing Kansas (SPARK) taskforce plan is to lead Kansas forward in recovery from the far-reaching effects of COVID-19, according to its’ website,https://covid.ks.gov/spark-recovery-office/

SPARK is responsible for the statewide distribution of the U.S. Coronavirus Relief Fund.

The total amount of grants disbursed in Bourbon County were
$2,835,212.86, according to information provided by Bourbon County Economic Director Jody Hoener.

 

Ascension Via Christi Pittsburg Inc. received $203,150 for its’ emergency department in Bourbon County in October 2020.

 The vast majority of the funding we received allowed us to provide additional staffing for the Covid-19  patient surge and the increased utilization of targeted pharmaceuticals for Covid treatment,” said Michelle Kennedy, Ascension Via Christi Senior Specialist for
Marketing and  Communications.

Ascension Via Christi Hospital, Pittsburg, Ks. Submitted photo.
Bourbon County, Government

Bourbon County Attorney Faces Discipline Hearing

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Kansas prosecutor faces hearing for alleged misconduct

Story by the Associated Press, taken from its website.

https://apnews.com/article/kansas-topeka-courts-fc7e12e48e937d6465c34a21422805f3

December 7, 2020

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A former Shawnee County prosecutor faces a disciplinary hearing this week over allegations that she lied in court and crossed other ethical boundaries to obtain convictions.

A three-member panel of the Kansas Board for Discipline of Attorneys is presiding over the weeklong hearing that started Monday to determine if Jacqie Spradling’s conduct merits formal discipline, the Topeka Capital-Journal reported.

Spradling is now the Bourbon County attorney and an assistant county attorney in Allen County. Neither she nor her lawyer immediately replied to messages seeking comment.

Spradling is accused of showing a lack of competence, candor and fairness in two cases she prosecuted.

The first was a 2012 case against Dana Chandler, who was convicted of murder in the 2002 deaths of her ex-husband, Mike Sisco, and his fiancée, Karen Harkness.

Spradling is accused of misleading a jury to believe Chandler had violated a protection order, despite there being no evidence that such an order existed. No physical evidence connected Chandler, who lived in Denver at the time of the killings, to the crime scene.

Chandler appealed her convictions and the Kansas Supreme Court overturned them in 2018 and sent the case back to Shawnee County District Court, where she is scheduled to stand trial for the killings again next year.

In its ruling, the Supreme Court said Chandler’s prosecution “unfortunately illustrates how a desire to win can eclipse the state’s responsibility to safeguard the fundamental constitutional right to a fair trial owed to any defendant facing criminal prosecution in a Kansas courtroom.”

In the second case, Spradling served as a special prosecutor in the case of Jacob Ewing, a Holton man who was convicted of sexually assaulting two women. The Kansas Court of Appeals overturned those convictions, finding that Spradling made a half-dozen errors and misled the jury by making assertions during her closing argument that were unsupported by the evidence.

Spradling claimed without evidence that Ewing had abused someone with autism — a claim that the appeals court said “improperly inflamed the passions and prejudices of the jury by painting Ewing as a bad person who preyed on especially vulnerable women.”

Ewing’s case was remanded to the district court, where he is set to stand trial again on the charges.

If the panel of three lawyers determines that Spradling engaged in prosecutorial misconduct and error, it could simply admonish her. If it finds that the conduct was more serious, it could recommend to the state Supreme Court hat she be disciplined. The high court would then decide on a punishment ranging from public censure to disbarment.

Bourbon County, Government

New Third District County Commissioner: Clifton Beth

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Clifton Beth from Facebook.
Clifton Beth, 47, is the new  Third District Bourbon County Commissioner, replacing Nick Ruhl, who resigned on August 26.
Beth received his associate’s degree in nursing from Fort Scott Community College and is a lifelong resident of Bourbon County.
He farmed for 25 years,  and has been a Registered Nurse for nine years, and additionally is a past small business owner.
“I currently have three businesses in development, but with COVID-19, we have slowed progress on those,” Beth said.
The following are responses to questions posed to Beth.
Why did you desire to become a county commissioner?
“In an environment where health care is changing on a daily basis, I would like to see a stable Emergency Room and a resemblance of health care in Bourbon County. I would like to see a community where my children could call home if they so choose.”
What are the duties of your job? 
“To oversee the management of the county, representing county interests at the state and federal level, participating in long-range planning, and managing the county budget and finances.”
Anything new on the horizon?
“I look forward to working with the new incoming commission this coming January.”
Area News, Business, COVID-19

Southeast Kansas Mental Health Center Receives SPARK Funds For COVID-19

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Southeast Kansas Mental Health Center 212 State St., Fort Scott.

Mental health has become an issue in the COVID-19 Pandemic.

The Southeast Kansas Mental Health Center has received $122, 488 for Bourbon County needs from SPARK funds distributed from the U.S. Coronavirus Fund. SPARK is a Kansas program that is moving Kansas forward in recovery from the effects of COVID-19.

” We are unfortunately seeing the mental health needs of our community increase,” said Holly Jerome, Director of Human  Resources with Southeast Kansas Mental Health Center located at 304 N Jefferson Ave, Iola.

“Things that increase depression and anxiety are fear, loneliness, isolation, etc,” she said. “During the pandemic, we are seeing individuals who have never experienced mental health issues who are struggling very badly. We are also seeing increased drug use, domestic violence, unemployment stress, and suicidal ideation. The funding is helping to keep our staff safe to keep services going, keep our doors open, and connect with the community.”

” We are so grateful to Bourbon County (Commission, the local agent who is helping to distribute the grants) to continue to support the important work that we are doing at SEKMHC,” Jerome said.

Protection

“We have purchased lots of PPE for our staff and client safety to include: masks, face shields, plastic barriers, gloves, hand sanitizer, increased cleaning/sanitation of our office in Fort Scott,” she said. “We also have supplied our after-school children’s program with masks.

Technology

“It is also being put towards increased Information Technology needs, as we had some clients and families who did not have a way to connect with us so we were able to supply some tablet devices to make that happen,” she said.

“We also purchased Zoom licenses to have an encrypted safe way to connect with those at home especially during quarantine and isolation as that can be very challenging for most people. We also purchased more IT equipment for our staff to work from home if they need to be on quarantine to keep services going. In addition to that, we are also upgrading our website to be ADA compliant with screen readers for the visually impaired to be able to access services.”

 

Public Education, Interior Upgrades

“We are also putting some local advertising out to educate the public and community about our services and are upgrading some flooring with the help of Ruddick’s (Fort Scott) and furniture pieces from McCarty’s (Chanute and Iola) to make sure that everything can be wiped down and sanitized frequently,” Jerome said.

 

Community Pocket Park

“I think the most exciting thing that we are doing is putting in a community ‘pocket park’,” she said. “We had an open space beside our building that was just some rocks. We are working with local company ‘Playscapes’ (out of Yates Center) to put in a shade covering, rubberized flooring, ADA compliant chairs for STEM exercises with children, and ADA compliant picnic tables, etc. Redbud Farms out of Fort Scott will be helping us get some shrubs and pots to make the area look nice with rock and mulch as well as some concrete work from Mitch Welch (Redfield, KS). We have also ordered some outdoor musical equipment for this area for some musical therapy. This pocket park will be open to the public as a great place to come and relax, sit in a chair to journal, meditation, etc. It will also create additional space for our case managers and therapists to continue social distanced appointments and group meetings that we can space out.”

“One of the things that was very important to us was to spend the money locally whenever possible,” Jerome said. “So we are so excited at how many local companies have stepped up to the challenge of making our deadlines work to get everything completed by December 31, 2020. We are so grateful to have such wonderful local talent and mission-driven small businesses!”

 

About Southeast Kansas Mental Health Center.

 

“SEKMHC was established in 1961, we are a not-for-profit organization that provides, advocates and coordinates quality mental health care, services and programs in the following counties: Allen, Anderson, Bourbon, Linn, Neosho and Woodson.  Our team of over 150 full-time and part-time professionals work to assess, treat, support, and/or coordinate your healthcare needs. Our core services include outpatient psychiatry, therapy, consultation, chemical abuse counseling, case management, educational and skill-building groups, specialty training, physical healthcare coordination, and 24/7 crisis intervention services.

The mission of the Southeast Kansas Mental Health Center is to provide, advocate, and coordinate quality mental health care, services and programs for people in its service area.”

 

 

The center’s website is: www.sekmhc.org

 

Southeast Kansas Mental Health Center, Fort Scott.
Opinion

Elvis Has Left the Building

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Carolyn Tucker. Submitted photo.

Keys to the Kingdom – Carolyn Tucker

 

When Elvis Presley, American icon, concluded his concerts and exited the stage, Ed Hill, gospel quartet singer and stage announcer would say: “Ladies and gentlemen, Elvis has left the building.“ This statement had to be made for the sake of the devoted fans. Otherwise, they would not leave their seats and go home because they were hoping Elvis would come back out and do an encore, or at least take another bow. Some still say, “Elvis may have left the building, but his fans are still there.“

I recently saw a t-shirt that read, “The Church has left the building.” That’s a powerful and scriptural declaration. The Bible repeats incidences of the religious leaders of Jesus’ day criticizing Him because He associated with sinners. He spent very little of His ministry preaching in the Temple. He went where the people were. Today, can we effectively proclaim Christ Jesus outside the walls of a church environment? I think so. Every concert Elvis gave would include some gospel music, confirming that Christ can be proclaimed in diverse venues. Thousands of people, who skipped out on attending church, were impacted by the gospel message of “How Great Thou Art.”

One day when Jesus was walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw professional fishermen Simon Peter and Andrew casting their net into the water. They must have had a hungering in their hearts, for when Jesus said, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men,“ they immediately hung up their nets and followed Him.

If you’re going to fish, you have to go where the fish are. You can’t catch a fish up in a tree, nor can you expect them to jump out of the water into your arms. If you’re going to fish for men, you must go where the people are. You shouldn’t expect them to come to the church building, although occasionally they do. And in that case, how do you treat them when they walk into the building? Do they leave thinking they’ve been loved by the Body of Christ?

Jesus fished for men everywhere He went. Scriptures reveal that He ate supper at the home of Simon the leper (Mark 14:30). He taught and ate dinner at the home of Martha and Mary (Luke 10:38-42). He disrupted a funeral procession just outside the village of Nain (Luke 7:11-15). Yes, Jesus attended weddings and visited cemeteries and everything in-between. He preached in the synagogues, but the religious leaders usually wanted to kill Him, so he fished elsewhere.

Exiting the sanctuary is where the rubber meets the road. When the Church (believers) leave the building, they have a God-given responsibility to fish for men. When you’re around people, that’s your opportunity to fish. Jesus has left planet earth, but His followers are still here. So always use the bait of love, and remember that you catch ‘em and Jesus cleans ‘em.

The Key: Like the dead boy of Nain, get up, get out, and go fishing in Jesus‘ name!

Business, Fort Scott

Laree + Co. Boutique Opening this Saturday, Dec. 5

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Pictured is Alivia Kraft, owner of Laree + Co,  located at 3 S. National Avenue. Submitted photo.

A new business is opening at the corner of National Avenue and Wall Street in Fort Scott. This building is part of a renewal of the historic buildings on and adjacent to this corner, by resident Jennifer LaRoche.

The LaRoche Building, August 2020. Laree + Co is now located in the corner spot, with entry doors on the National Avenue side.
Laree + Co, on December 3, 2020. Submitted photo.

The Common Ground Coffee Company and Kenny Felt Photography opened this year on the Wall Street side of the corner and E3 Meat Co. and Laree + Co. on the National Avenue side.

Beginning this Saturday, Dec.t 5, Laree+Co Boutique will have its’ grand opening at 3 S. National.

Trendy clothing and baby items will be featured items at the boutique.

Laree + Co. offers superior-quality tees, women’s apparel, holiday apparel, vinyl and fabric bows, shoes, headwraps, and more. Home décor and other furnishings will come in the future, according to the press release..

 

Support this local business by stopping in this Saturday at Laree + Co.’s grand opening, for light refreshments, drinks, and door prizes.

The store’s hours will be Monday-Friday from 9 am – 6 pm.

 Business In Honor of Lillian

Owner Alivia Kraft originally started the business in honor of her daughter, Lillian, who was diagnosed with Trisomy 18. Though Lillian wasn’t expected to live past birth, she celebrated her fourth birthday in August.

To learn more about Trisomy 18, click here:

https://rarediseases.info.nih.gov/diseases/6321/trisomy-18

Lillian’s determination for life inspired Alivia to do something she had always dreamed of, opening a boutique, according to a press release from the business.

Laree+Co’s mission in part is to spread awareness of medically-complex children and their illnesses through naming products after fellow “warriors” and angels, according to the press release.

The family has decided that 10 percent of the business profits will be donated to Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital, St. Louis, MO, the hospital that has saved Lillian’s life on numerous occasions.