A section of Iron Star Antiques and Such, 3 N. Main is being renovated.
Iron Star Antiques and Such owner Barbara Trimbur was sitting at the cash register on Wednesday, with the sound of hammer’s pounding in the background.
“Every year I try to improve the store,” Trimbur said. Last year she renovated half of her store at 3 N. Main, this year, she is renovating the south half.
“We are redoing the floor, took off the drop-down ceiling that was put in during urban renewal in the 60s,” Trimbur said. “We are going back to the old ceiling tile. And new light fixtures and fans.”
The contractor for the renovation is Ron Query Construction, Fort Scott.
The store remains open during the renovation.
The window on the store’s Wall Street side is covered over with plywood, following a January 2020 storm.
Trimbur said she had the plans in place to start the reno well before the window blowout, and added that the glass is being provided by Peerless Products, a local company.
The renovated space should be operational again in mid-March, Trimbur said.
Trimbur said there are four women in the store’s co-op of selling decorative items, furniture and more.
“There are several ladies that sell stuff and we take turns working,” she said. “They pay a commission to the store and can work it off, like a co-op.”
Asked if anything was new on the horizon for the store, Trimbur replied with a laugh “I would always welcome someone to buy it from me, so I can retire.”
Common Ground Coffee Shop will be moved to this location at 12 E. Wall later this week..
Common Ground Coffee shop’s last day of operation at its current, 116 S. Main location will be Friday, March 6.
A new chapter for this local meeting place will then begin.
“We will be closed Saturday, March 7 through 10,” Jennifer LaRoche, a member of the Common Ground board, said. “We have a tentative date of March 11th to be back in business.”
” We are going to close out the five-year journey with some live music from 7-8 pm by Rick Hite and friends,” she said.
Common Grounds Coffee Company, 116 S. Main.
The coffee shop will be back in business about two blocks away at 12 E. Wall.
There will be no sign on the building at 12 E. Wall, LaRoche said. Pictured is the protective fence that keeps people from getting too near the westernmost LaRoche building which is still being renovated.
The new space has more space, an enlarged commercial kitchen, a conference room and meeting space with a stage.
In addition, there will be a drive-up window that will be opened once the staff is “settled in”, LaRoche said.
The stage space will also need a little more work when the business is first moved in.
“It will be heated with portable heaters,” she said.
Signage will be temporary on the door to the new building, until warmer weather when it can be placed on glass, she said.
Common Ground Coffee Shop is a ministry of Fort Scott Church of the Nazarene.
Electrician Kirk Bryant, Jennifer LaRoche and Kasey Gross work on Feb. 25 towards the goal of opening the new Common Ground Coffee Shop in mid-March. LaRoche is the owner of the building that is being renovated at 12 E. Wall. Gross is the coffee shop coordinator, LaRoche said.
Travelers to Pittsburg and south will see progress on the expansion of U.S, 69 Hwy. starting Monday, March 2.
Expanding the highway from two-lane to four-lane has been on-going for about three years in Southeast Kansas.
This is the first project slated for U.S. Hwy. 69 to begin in 2020.
When the press release was published yesterday, questions arose on the FortScott.Biz Facebook page about the remaining sections of 69 Hwy. being completed.
Here are the answers from the Kansas Department of Transportation:
Second Project 2021-2022
A second project for the remaining section is scheduled to start in the spring of next year, according to officials.
“Work on both projects will be occurring at the same time,” Priscilla Petersen with the Kansas Department of Transportation said. “With a fall letting, construction on the northern project will likely start in the spring of 2021. We’ll have more information available on the second project later this year.”
The second project will have bid letting this fall.
“KDOT will let a second project this autumn to expand the remaining miles on U.S. 69 in Crawford County to four lanes,” Peterson said. “The second project will start three miles north of Arma and end at the Crawford-Bourbon county line.”
” These two Crawford County projects, when finished, will make U.S. 69 a four-lane expressway from Kansas City south to Pittsburg, * Peterson said.
There are currently no projects scheduled to expand U.S. 69 south of Pittsburg, she said.
2020- 21 Project
The Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) plans to start the project, which will expand a six-mile section of U.S. 69 in Crawford County to a four-lane divided expressway, during the week of March 2, according to a KDOT press release dated Feb. 27.
The expansion project begins north of the U.S. 69/K-47 junction and continues north to end three miles north of the Arma city limits. Two lanes will be added to the existing U.S. 69 alignment.
Two-way traffic is being maintained on the existing lanes of U.S. 69 while the new lanes are under construction. Traffic will be switched to the new lanes when the existing lanes are rebuilt. Early project activity includes grading and work on box culverts off the highway.
KDOT awarded the $21.8 million construction contract to Koss Construction Co. of Topeka. According to the project schedule, the new expressway will be open to unrestricted traffic by mid-August 2021.
Persons with questions may contact Bob Gudgen at KDOT-Pittsburg, (620) 308-7621, or Priscilla Petersen at KDOT-Chanute, (620) 902-6433.
Sunshine Boutique owner Georgia Brown stands in front of her storefront on Wall Street.
Long-time store owner Georgia Brown is expanding Sunshine Boutique.
The store will be expanding to the east, through a door in the store to the property at 2 S. Main that the Brown’s also own.
“We are excited about the expansion,” Brown said.
The store is a family affair.
She, her husband-Donnie and granddaughters Rilie Creollo, Kinede Houdashelt and Tucker Ross are all involved with the store.
The door behind the black shelf in the middle of this photo, leads to 2 S. Main and is where the expansion of Sunshine Boutique will be.
“There will be new boutique clothing, a designated wedding planning area and we will make our all-occasion flower section bigger, this includes fresh flowers in a cooler,” Brown said.
“The girls have been wanting to do clothing for several years,” she said.
Sunshine Boutique has been selling new clothing since January 2020.
Donnie is co-owner, Rilie is the assistant manager, Kinede’s wedding cakes will be featured, and Tucker does technology-part time, Brown said.
The Browns own 2 S. Main and 4 S. Main, which were recently vacated by the Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes, which had used it for storage the last year, she said.
“We have not used the west side of the street very much, for the past year,” Norman Conard, executive director of the center said.
The new LMC, at 1 S. Main, is across the street from the 2 and 4 S. Main.
“The new building is so popular that everyone, teachers and students, want to be in the new building,” he said.
Rental Opportunity
4 S. Main will be available for rent next week, Brown said.
It is 1,300 square feet, has two areas divided by a half wall, a bathroom and an area in the back that has been used as a staff room, Brown said.
Men from the Catholic Church serve fish, potatoes, spaghetti, green beans, coleslaw, and grilled cheese sandwiches. Women of the church provide desserts.
The Knights of Columbus Fish Fry begins Feb. 28 at the Mary Queen of Angels Kennedy Gym at 705 S. Holbrook.
The meal is served from 5-7 p.m. each Friday until April 3 this year and if past years are any indication there will be a line to get the meal.
The annual community event includes southern fried fish, baked white fish, meatless spaghetti, or grilled cheese sandwiches with sides of french-fried potatoes, a baked potato, green beans, or coleslaw along with desserts provided by the women of St. Mary’s Catholic Church and drinks.
A free-will donation allows the Knights to contribute to local charities and the local Catholic school, said Deborah Skeen, church secretary.
“A lot of people in the community have said it’s good food for the money,” Skeen said.
Community members enjoy visiting at the Fort Scot Kiwanis Pancake Feed at Buck Run Community Center on Tuesday.
Members of the community came to Buck Run Community Center for the annual Fort Scott Kiwanis Club Pancake Feed, starting at 11 a.m. today.
For a $5 donation, attendees are served pancakes, sausage and a drink.
The event is open until 7 p.m. this evening, Feb. 25.
The Kiwanis Club provides support for many local charities and awards scholarships to local students.
Below are photos from the lunch session of the pancake feed:
Buck Run is located at 735 Scott Avenue.
Some of the projects of the Fort Scott Kiwanis Club were showcased on a poster of the gym at Buck Run Community Center.Glenn Newcomer, left, and Dale Johnson, sell the tickets to the pancake feed on Feb. 25.A banner at the pancake feed in Buck Run Community Center.Addisyn Fowler, Fort Scott High School Key Club member, left, along with Fort Scott Kiwanis Club members Bob Eckles and Clyde Stepps serve pancakes on Feb. 25.Sponsors of the pancake feed are featured on a poster during the meal.On the stage in the gym are Ralph Carlson and Wib Mowen on guitars and Carolyn Tucker, keyboard, who entertain the attendees during lunch session at the pancake feed. Helping with the sound system is Dave Oas.
Rita Schroeder and J.T. Heckman make a presentation to the Healthy Bourbon County Action Team of Feb. 6 of the proposed downtown walking trail. Submitted photo.
A local leadership class has taken on a project of creating a walking trail downtown with funding from Healthy Bourbon County Action Team.
Bourbon County Lead Class 2020 heard of the funding opportunity from Fort Scott Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Lindsay Madison.
“Lindsay brought the opportunity up to the class of extra funds from Healthy Bourbon County Action Team that we could use for our class project and we came up with a healthy walk downtown with educational fun facts about downtown Fort Scott,” Rita Schoeder, LEAD Class member said. ” What it was and what it is now!”
Rita Schroeder and J.T. Heckman present to the Healthy Bourbon County Action Team on Feb. 6. Submitted photo.
“Our presentation proposed to Healthy Bourbon County Board for approval was held at the Empress Event Center, Thursday, February 6th,” Schoeder said. “I and one other class member, J.T. (Heckman), presented to the board for approval of the design of the signs.”
Also included in the presentation was an example of a fun facts sign with QR code for younger audiences to use cell phones while approaching the sign, then scanning on the phone. It will then show images, reading material and recorded audio of the fun fact, Schroeder said.
“Some signs will show how many feet you have walked as well.,” she said. “At the Feb. 6 meeting, the budget and project were approved.”
The definitive location of the downtown trail is not final but the starting place will be at the Fort Scott Chamber, 231 E.Wall Street, Schroeder said.
There the walkers will receive a brochure of the walking trail, and the statistics of how many feet the walking trail is from start to finish.
The brochure will show the fun fact markers and highlights of the downtown walking trail.
What is the benefit of having a walking trail downtown?
According to Schroeder:
It’s a walk of downtown historic Fort Scott for people who work and live downtown, residents, and visitors of all ages.
The walk promotes retailers, restaurants, and points of interest.
Walkers will learn fun facts about Fort Scott’s history.
The hope is to challenge the next generation of opportunities to continue Fort Scott’s growth.
Small town hospitality will welcome visitors and share what Fort Scott represents and has to offer.
By mid-March/April, the project will be presented to the Fort Scott Design and Review Board and if approved will then go to the Fort Scott City Commission for final approval.
The completion date for the project is in June, Schroeder said.
“Before Good Ol’ Days, fingers crossed,” Schroeder said.
Members of the LEAD Bourbon County 2020 group have been divided into subgroups with the following tasks:
Naming the trail and gathering historical facts
based on the number of mile marker signs along the trail:
Matthew Chaplin, Devin Tally, Tony Tirri, JT Heckman.
Marketing and design of brochures, flyers, and printed maps to be picked up at the Chamber and/or trailhead, designing a welcome sign and mile marker signs, and getting quotes on pricing and installation:
Rita Schroeder, Ashley Keylon, Katie Allison.
Mapping the route, identifying sign placement and number of mile marker signs needed:
Traci Reed, Amy Budy, Kyla Probasco
The public is invited to be a part of planning for community economic and fiscal health on Feb. 25 from 6-7 p.m. and from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Feb. 26 at the River Room Event Center, located above Luther’s BBQ at National Avenue and Oak Stree.
“Tuesday evening is a presentation and the actual workshop is on Wednesday,” Fort Scott Community Development Director Robert Uhler said.
Smart Growth America is coming to Fort Scott.
Smart Growth America empowers communities through technical assistance, advocacy and thought leadership to create livable places, healthy people, and shared prosperity, according to its’ website:
“We first met the Smart Growth people when we went on our first trip to DC in March of 2019, working with Strategic Implementation plan,” Uhler said.
“Smart growth policy can help communities save money now, reduce their liabilities for the future and use targeted investment to spur economic development,” Uhler noted. “The ‘planning for economic and fiscal health’ workshop draws on successful private and public sector lessons to help local leaders foster smart growth communities that cost their taxpayers less to build, run and maintain.”
“This workshop first brings you the latest lessons in how smart growth saves money for local governments, makes money for businesses and is integral for the long-term fiscal and economic health of the community,” he said. “Using an interactive and hands-on method, the workshop then shows how to apply these lessons in your community.”
The first half of the technical assistance workshop on Wednesday focuses on how approaches save the community money, including increasing tax revenues and reducing tax burdens, attracting new businesses, increasing the efficiency of the labor market, providing greater stability in times of uncertainty and rising energy costs, investing public funds to stimulate private investment, increasing local capital circulation and providing a foundation for long term fiscal and economic health and competitiveness, according to information provided by Uhler.
Participants also learn how to overcome barriers to starting community smart growth including a lack of understanding of the relationship between development and municipal costs and revenues, the importance of growing small and mid-size businesses and the role of nearness to value creation, according to info provided by Uhler.
In the second half of the day, the technical assistance team joins participating community members to look at the community’s economic development plans and projects to evaluate how the current situation compares to smart growth principles.
Working with the community, the team will create specific changes to strategy and identify next steps in planning for fiscal and economic health that makes sense for the community, which may include suggestions for changes to the capital budgeting process, permitting process, regulatory framework and direction of economic development incentives, according to the information provided.
A follow-up memo will measure progress and leave the community with further next steps.
Robert Uhler. Submitted photo.
The hoped outcome is better understanding of how we prepare and plan for growth in our community, Uhler said.
Rachel Pruitt, is the Fort Scott Economic Director.
The local people who have been involved in the presentation and workshop planning process are FS Economic Development Director Rachel Pruitt, FS Tourism Director Alley Turvey and Uhler.
Ally Turvey is the tourism director in Fort Scott. Submitted photo.
Bill Fiscus is the new Chief Executive Officer of Tri-Valley Developmental Services, since January 29, 2020.
He replaces long-term CEO, Tim Cunningham.
Fiscus has been employed by Tri-Valley for 34 years and has been involved in every department under the service’s umbrella, he said.
He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Business from Emporia State University.
“Tri-Valley was a good fit from the start for me,” Fiscus said. “Once hired, I knew this was the place I wanted to be. Working at Tri-Valley is very rewarding. If you are having a bad day, just go spend some time with the individuals we provide services to and you will be reminded why you are here.”
“Tri-Valley empowers people with disabilities to realize their potential as full citizens in the community, through supporting them in working and living in the place they call home,” he said. “We help them belong.”
His office is in Tri-Valley’s Administration Offices, 521 W. 35 CH Parkway in Chanute.
Tri-Valley has 172 employees and serves 233 clients.
Fiscus is a member of Chanute Chamber of Commerce, SEKRS Board Member, is active in Communities in Schools, and volunteers for numerous community functions, he said.
Tri-Valley Developmental Services, Fort Scott, is located in the city’s industrial park, south of the city, just off of 69 Hwy.
Fiscus was asked if there was anything new on the horizon for TVDS.
“Tri-Valley just merged with New Beginnings Enterprises out of Neodesha,” Fiscus said. ” We now serve Allen, Bourbon, Neosho, Woodson, Wilson, Elk, Greenwood and Chautauqua Counties.”
To learn more about Tri-Valley, visit its website: www.tvds.org
The new Fort Scott Fire Department fire truck, a 2019 Pierce Saber, sits in No.1 Station at 1604 S. National, ready for service.
A new truck and equipment has arrived and one more truck is on the way to add to the Fort Scott Fire Department’s arsenal for fire protection in the community.
The FSFD received a new 2019 Pierce Saber fire truck in December 2019.
“It will be our main attack truck,” FSFD Captain Jacob May said. “It came to us in December, we put it into service the first of the year, after training.”
At about the same time as receiving the truck, the department received air packs through a grant. Air packs are worn each time a firefighter enters a structure fire, to facilitate breathing, May said.
“The air packs were replaced with the award of an Assistance to Firefighters Grant,” FSFD Chief Dave Bruner said.
Fort Scott Fire Chief Dave Bruner. Submitted photo.
With the new truck they have a thermal imaging camera that aides searching inside structures that are on fire, which could help locate people, May said.
“I would also like to add that we were also fortunate to be able to replace our extrication tools with a donation by the Mercy Health Foundation,” Chief Bruner said.
“We have been training on (the new truck) a bunch,” May said. “It takes a lot of training to catch up on new stuff.”
“We are very fortunate,” May said. “We’ve been working with antiquated equipment for a long time.”
The truck is a 1000 gallon pumper, that can hold six firefighters.
The department has three pumper trucks, a ladder truck and a rescue truck, May said. Also housed is an ambulance if needed.
“The ambulance is staffed by our department as a third out unit for Bourbon County EMS,” Bruner said.
The fire department has two stations in Fort Scott, No. 1 at 1604 National Avenue and No. 2 at 23 S. Franklin on the city’s east side.
The firefighters serve 24 hours on duty, then are off 48 hours.
“We run city-wide full coverage,” May said. “Our rescue truck will run county-wide. We do occasionally assist the county fire departments as requested.”
“Including myself and Deputy Chief Michael Miles we have 14 fulltime staff and three reserve staff,” Bruner said.
New Aerial Platform Truck Coming
At the Feb. 18 Fort Scott City Commission meeting, a new aerial platform truck was approved for the fire department as well, Bruner said.
The city applied for a Community Development Block Grant and was notified in late January that they had been approved for the grant.
The City of Fort Scott recently accepted a $665,303 grant award to help purchase the new fire truck, Rachel Pruitt, Fort Scott’s Economic Development Director, said in a press release.
State and local officials hold the representative check for the Community Development Block Grant. Submitted photo.
“The grant awarded is for a 100’ aerial platform truck,” Bruner said. “This apparatus will replace our existing 1993 75’ aerial truck. By replacing this apparatus, it will not only maintain our ISO status but it also allows our department to continue to provide service to the community as well as safe and reliable equipment for our firefighters to be able to perform their duties.”
Mark Warren, Uniontown Ruritan member, opens the door of the proposed medical clinic just south of the football field.
A community collaboration of Uniontown Ruritan, Girard Hospital, USD 235 School District, Bourbon County Commission, and the City of Uniontown have been working to get a health clinic in the small town in western Bourbon County.
It’s been a long time coming.
Uniontown Mayor Larry Jurgensen had tried to get a medical clinic here several years ago, Mark Warren said. Warren is a Ruritan Governor and member of Uniontown Ruritan.
Mark Warren, Uniontown Ruritan Member and initiator of the most recent medical clinic idea sits at a table in the proposed clinic on Feb. 18, during an interview with fortscott.biz..
“Mercy Hospital had no interest at that point,” Warren said.
Even before Mercy Hospital Fort Scott closed in Dec. 2018, Warren had been thinking about initiating a medical clinic in Uniontown, but when the hospital closed, “I thought this is bad, no hospital, nor a clinic,” he said.
Someone mentioned to Warren that Uniontown resident Holly Koch is the Chief Financial Officer of Girard Hospital and about 1.5 years ago he visited with Koch about the issue. Koch said she would visit with the CEO Ruth Duling and a meeting was set up.
Girard Hospital is 31 miles from Uniontown.
Uniontown is 19 miles from Fort Scott, 25 miles from Iola, both sites of the nearest health care clinics. The clinic would serve western Bourbon County, eastern Allen County, northeastern Neosho County and northern Crawford County rural residents, Warren said.
“They came and we presented some statistics,” Warren said. Since then there have been approximately eight meetings with various Girard Hospital staff and local entities to talk through the idea.
Locally, Warren, Jurgensen, U235 Superintendent Brett Howard, Uniontown Council President Jess Ervin, Uniontown City Clerk who is also U235 Board of Education Member Sally Johnson, Bourbon County Economic Director Jody Hoenor and Bourbon County Commissioner Lynne Oharah have been in the collaboration.
Warren, Jurgensen and Jurgensen’s wife, Judy, along with Bourbon County Commissioner Lynne Oharah, recently went before the Girard Hospital board to give a history of how the idea for a clinic came about.
The board was favorable to the idea, Warren said.
The proposed building for the medical clinic is south of the Uniontown High School Football Field.
On Feb. 17, members of the collaborative group met at the proposed site on the campus of Uniontown High School, just south of the football field. Originally, the superintendents office, of late the building has housed the office of the school’s kitchen manager.
“They came, had the blueprints,” Warren said.
The hospital engineering staff will work on the design reconfigurement of the building into a medical clinic, Ruth Duling, Girard Hospital CEO, said.
Next will be getting materials, estimating the costs and raising funds to make the building into a medical clinic, Warren said.
There is no timeline for opening the clinic, Duling said.
Local volunteers will be helping with the labor of the building reconfiguration.
As soon as everything is in place, the hospital will begin the certification process to become a rural health clinic, Duling said.
Staff at the clinic will include a nurse practitioner and one other staff member, serving as both nurse and receptionist, Duling said.
Initially the clinic will be open 2-3 days a week.
“You don’t know until you do it,” if it will be feasible, Duling said. “It will be dependent on people to use the clinic and make it viable.”
One positive for the community:
“There are a lot of passionate people that want to see this come to fruition,” Duling said.
TFI Family Services of Kansas which has an office in Fort Scott at 710 W. 8th, Suite 203, provides child welfare services to Bourbon County.
There are several current needs of families involved with TFI, Crystal Walker, permanency support worker, said.
“We are looking for good quality foster homes,” Walker said. “Also full-time drivers to transfer kids to court, visitation with families, etc. and furniture for those who may have just found a house and don’t have furniture, some need clothing. It’s on a case by case basis.”
TFI partners with the State of Kansas to provide an array of services, Taylor Forrest, marketing specialist, said.
Besides foster care, adoption services are offered.
This includes recruitment, training and support of the homes.
Family preservation is there “If a family that needs extra help with parenting skills, we work with them to get them on the right track,” Forrest said.
There is a new program called Grow Nurturing Families that is offered, which is a parent-child interaction therapy, Forrest said.
It also offers the Family First Prevention Services Act services, Forrest said.
The following is from an interview with Forrest:
What does TFI stand for, the initials?
The Family Initiative
What services do you provide the community?
TFI Family Services provides an array of services to the community including foster and kinship care, family preservation, domestic and international adoption, counseling support and education, TIPS-MAPP training and visitation and exchange centers.
Where located?
TFI Family Services has locations across the entire State of Kansas, but our CEO office is in Topeka, KS.
What are the needs currently?
The biggest need TFI has is for more foster parents. In Kansas, there are more than 7,600 children placed into out of home care. There are approximately 2,000 foster homes in Kansas. This disparity means that children from your community are being placed outside of their home community, or in shelters. Foster parents are one of our essential partners in providing quality services to children and families.
Additionally, families we serve have many needs, to learn more about how you can support kids, visit www.tfikidsfund.org.
Contact information?
If you are interested in making a difference in the life of a child by becoming a foster parent, please call us at 833-7FOSTER or visiting us online at www.tfifamily.org.
Statistics on number of children in foster care placement and those needing placement in Bourbon County?
All individuals interested in becoming foster parents are required to take TIPS-MAPP training. TFI walks alongside and supports all our foster parents so they can best care for the children in their homes. To learn more about foster parent requirements, visit www.tfifamily.org/start-here/.
TFI Fort Scott Employees, from left to right: Stormi Rosete, Permanency Support Worker,; Crystal Walker, Permanency Support Worker; Jordan Flauding, Case Manager; Taya Drake, Case Manager; and Jordan Johnson, Case Manager. Submitted photo.
