All posts by Loretta George

Next Steps: Men Supporting Their Family

August 16, 2019 Loretta George Leave a comment

Next Steps co-coordinators Sue Emmons and David Goodyear will start weekly gatherings next week.

A local initiative to move fathers out of dependence to become self-supporting is restarting August 19.

Next Steps is a local program of Connections to Success that the Kansas government provides to work with men in transition from dependence.

New co-coordinators David Goodyear and Sue Emmons are starting a new term with the program, replacing Jean Tucker, who had to step down for health reasons.

“It’s a 14-week structured curriculum,” Goodyear said. “It has a three-day intensive ‘get to know you’, team building and skills assessment.”

“We are targeting men, but we are not exclusive,” Goodyear said. They work with women wanting to become self-sustaining as well.

Next Steps meets Mondays from 5-7 p.m. at the First United Methodist Church in Fort Scott.

First United Methodist Church at 2nd Street and National Avenue, is the venue for Next Steps.

“The program is a collaboration of churches,” Goodyear said.

It is comprised of facilitators, who lead the discussion on a chosen topic, such as budgeting tools, conflict resolution, how to present yourself to an employer, how to do a resume, etc.

“We focus on personal, developmental, relational, vocational and spiritual,” Goodyear said.

Other people in the program are dedicated to helping with transporting participants to the meetings, and childcare during the meetings.

Then there are mentors-people who walk beside another person.

As a mentor, he has worked to develop relationships to help participants with decision making on such subjects as managing money or family conflicts, he said.

Many are battling isolation, lack of value and lacking a sense of belonging, Goodyear said.

“There is dignity in providing for themselves…We’ve had pretty good success,” he said.

Participants must learn such attributes as the mutual respect of showing up on time and not disrupting in group settings, Goodyear said.

Ages of participants in the past have varied from people in their 20s to those in their 60s.

For Emmons, she had been aware of the program and had referred people in prior jobs and was asked to join Next Steps as a facilitator/mentor about six months ago.

For Goodyear, the most practical way to show someone the Gospel of Jesus Christ is building relationships. He has been in the role of both facilitator and mentor as well for about five years.

To him, 1 John 3:18, is the inspiration: “Let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.”

For more information: contact Goodyear through Fort Scott Church of the Nazarene at 620-223-0131 or Emmons at 620-224-8096.

Bourbon County, Fort Scott, Health Care

Immunizations: No Appointment/No Local Provider Necessary at CHC/SEK

August 16, 2019 Loretta George Leave a comment

Krista Postai, President and CEO of Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas, asked fortscott.biz to dispell some confusion.

“There has been some confusion in Ft. Scott about immunizations (at CHC/SEK),” she said. “In the past, we understood that Mercy (Hospital) usually required a well-child visit or a physical (exam) before administering immunizations.”

” While it’s a great idea to get your child’s immunizations as part of their regular check-up, that’s not always possible so it’s CHC/SEK’s policy to provide shots on a walk-in basis at all of our clinics anytime we are open.”

No appointment is necessary for the immunizations.

Shots can be administered at the center no matter if the primary care physician is affiliated with CHC/SEK.

“We also do immunizations for anyone regardless of who their primary care provider is, so you don’t have to be one of our patients to get you or your child vaccinated,” she said. ” We do ask that you bring your child’s immunization record.”

The facility is located at 403 Woodland Hills Blvd., at the site of the former Mercy Hospital.

Bourbon County, Fort Scott, Government

Bourbon County Unification Committee Forms

August 15, 2019 Loretta George 1 Comment

In an effort to help make government more efficient in the county, a new Bourbon County Unified Services Committee was formed August 7, 2019.

“I have heard about it (unifying government) for three years,” Greg Motley, who was selected to be the vice-chairman of the group, said. “We have to look for ways to be more efficient.”

“We had one meeting to organize ourselves,” he said. “The purpose is ‘how can we make government more efficient: city, county, school districts, community college’.”

The unifying committee was launched by Bourbon County Economic Development Corporation, BEDCO.

They are in the first stage, which is researching the possibilities, Motley said.

“That will take a while,” he said.

“We have to plan for a reduced population,” Motley said. “The cost of government is going to increase. We have to think about ways…to do it (government) more effectively.”

Motley said Wyandotte County has unified in northeast Kansas and other sparsely populated counties are considering combining to unify resources.

So the group will study the issue to see if it can be done, and done well, he said.

Motley knows that if the public is not for the unification of government, it will not happen.

“People could say ‘even if it saves money on taxes, we don’t want it’ and that’s ok,” Motley said.

Bourbon County Unified Services Committee is comprised of Mark McCoy, chairman; Motley, vice chairman; Nancy Maze, secretary/treasurer; Greg Fess, Clayton Whitson, Larry Shead, David Foster, Larry Martin and Larry Jurgensen.

Motley can be reached at 620-768-2329 or cell 620-215-6411 or [email protected]

Business, Fort Scott

Community Clothes Closet Is A Part of Washateria: Board Members Needed

August 14, 2019 Loretta George Leave a comment

Fort Scott Washateria, 501 S. National Avenue.

Fort Scott Washateria, a new state of the art laundry center, will open Sept. 7 instead of mid-August as originally planned, said manager Lori Lovelace.

But this Thursday on Aug. 15 at 6 p.m. she and her mother Carol Oakleaf, who is the owner of the business, will be having an organizational meeting for a Fort Scott Community Closet Association.

Volunteers are needed to be board members for the new philanthropic organization.

“We will collect clothing donations to distribute to those in need in the community,” Lovelace said.

“We’d like to get people who have worked at the Beacon,” she said. The Beacon is a helping agency who recently quit handling clothing distributions.

“We will need people to set the hours to be open, the qualifications for receiving donations and other needed decisions,” Lovelace said.

She and her mother will be on the board, but others are needed.

Their church, Hammond United Methodist, is a sponsor of the clothing distribution association.

Lovelace and Oakleaf have worked to attain a 501 (c)3 and a Federal Tax ID for the association, she said.

“The broader the organizational experience, the better it will be,” Lovelace said.

Volunteers are also needed to help with the distribution of clothes to those in need.

“We will launder donated clothing, and clothing will be sorted and stored in the grey shed, just north of the laundry facility,” Lovelace said.

Washateria Grand Opening Sept. 7

The laundry center’s opening has been pushed into September because of the death of an employee of Laundry Solutions, that sold them all the machines, Lovelace said.

That business has been Speed Queen Distributor of the Year three times in the last six years, she said.

Some of the larger capacity machines will take bedding comforters and dog beds, Lovelace said.

They will have a “soft opening” of the laundry mat around Labor Day.

She will put a sign in the window to indicate the preliminary opening.

Two people have been hired and the hours of operation of the laundry mat will be 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. seven days a week.

Home delivery service will be provided as well, if needed.

For more information: [email protected] or call Lovelace at 620-215-1314.

Fort Scott, Government

New FS City Staff Accountant: Devin Tally

August 13, 2019 Loretta George Leave a comment

Devin Tally, 30, is the new City of Fort Scott Staff Accountant.

He graduated from Fort Scott High School in 2007 and received his Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance from Pittsburg State University. In May 2019 he completed my Master of Business Administration through Northwest Missouri State University.

Previously, Tally has worked at Wise Tax and Accounting for almost four years.

He started working for the city on June 24, 2019.

Tally’s duties include payroll, accounts receivable, assisting with the budget, bank reconciliation, sales tax, and additional duties as needed. His office is located at city hall, 123 S. Main.

Bourbon County, Business, Fort Scott, Fort Scott Chamber of Commerce, Jobs

Small Businesses Encouraged With New Partnership Offer

August 12, 2019 Loretta George Leave a comment

The Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce is initiating a partnership program that aims to cultivate an entrepreneurial environment in the community.

What is an entrepreneur?

An entrepreneur is an individual who, rather than working as an employee, founds and runs a small business, assuming all the risks and rewards of the venture, according to investopedia.com.

“The big-picture vision for this initiative is to move Bourbon County forward as a great place to start and grow a small business and where existing businesses have access to all the resources they need to grow and achieve their potential,” Bill Michaud said.

Michaud is the chairman of the Chamber’s Business Resource and Development Committee.

Bill Michaud is the chairman of the Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce Business Resource and Development Committee. Submitted photo.

He and Chamber Executive Director Lindsay Madison are the primary workers to bring this initiative to Fort Scott, Michaud said.

“Lindsay Madison did the work to complete the application which resulted in us being selected,” he said. ” She and I have been the primary ones immersed in the details.”

Lindsay Madison is the Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce Executive Director. Submitted photo.

“The Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce representing Bourbon County has been selected by Network Kansas as a partner in the E-Community Program, a partnership program that aims to cultivate an entrepreneurial environment in partner communities throughout the state,” Michaud said. The Chamber was notified in June 2019.

“Bourbon County was awarded this partnership opportunity through a competitive application process in which 14 Kansas communities were vying for selection and only five new e-community partners were selected,” he said.

“The revolving loan fund and other E-Community resources can be the catalyst to build onto the many great improvements which have occurred in our community in recent years, “Michaud said. “This program is a resource that could help fund additional rehabilitation of downtown buildings which are currently very difficult to finance.”

E-Community loan funds can be used for building acquisition, renovations, inventory, expansion, relocation, equipment and other purposes.

One of the barriers to starting or growing a business is access to funding.

“The largest component of the E-Community Partnership is providing a locally controlled loan fund used to enable new business and existing businesses to overcome that barrier,” Michaud said. “There also additional resources available through Network Kansas to help businesses of all sizes including a variety of programs through StartupKS.”

The E-Community program also provides funding for several approved educational and personal development programs.

“These programs are geared toward teaching and developing potential and existing entrepreneurs,” he said.

Click below for a link to that inventory of programs:

https://www.networkkansas.com/ecommunities/programs

The E-Community program was created through a Kansas Center for Entrepreneurship Tax Credit Program, according to the Fort Scott Chamber website.

Application Details

Applicants may include startup businesses and existing business purchases and/or expansions.

The minimum loan request is $5,000 with a $45,000 maximum amount available per applicant business, subject to availability. The terms for loans issued in the fiscal year 2019-20 will be 5 percent rate over a 10-year maximum term.

Applicants will be asked if the entrepreneur or business has a tax liability in arrears with the Kansas Department of Revenue or the IRS, or been involved in bankruptcy or insolvency proceedings.

Applicants will be asked to provide relevant details such as length of time in business, business name or entity changes, number of jobs to be created or retained, etc.

All business plans will be submitted with the application and should include key elements such as:

Executive Summary
Business Description
Products or Services
Short- and Long-Term Goals
Project Financing
Management
Ownership
Marketing Strategy
Description of Major & Prospective Customers
Description of Market & Competition
Financial Projections

Contact the Kansas Small Business Development Center at Pittsburg State University for assistance in developing a business plan, 620-235-4920.

How the application will be judged

The Fort Scott Chamber of Commerce Financial Review Board will use the following rubric to score all applications in the Bourbon County E-Community Program.

Criteria	Strength (1-4)	Weight (% of total)	Weighted Score
Financial Soundness		25
Owner/Operator Experience		20
Business Plan		25
Owner/3^rd Party Funding		25
Community Commitment		5
TOTAL		100

SCALE

4 = Exceeds expectations 3 = Meets expectations

2= Partially meets expectations 1 = Does not meet expectations

Application Checklist

Be sure to include the following with your completed application:

$50 Non-refundable Application Fee
Business Plan including Financial Projections (1-year projection of profit & loss by month and 3 years of annual projections)
Financial Statements (if an existing business)

Income statement and balance sheet from within the past 90 days
Income statements, balance sheets, and complete business tax returns for the two (2) prior year-ends
A current list of business obligations

Applicant Resume
Personal Financial Statement from within the past 90 days
Three Letters of Reference
Other documents relevant to the project

Proposed purchase agreement
The existing or proposed franchise agreement
Existing or proposed lease agreement
Real estate contract
Contractor bids
Appraisals and environmental reports
Partnership agreement
Articles of incorporation & bylaws

History Of Initiative

The initiative was established as a part of the Kansas Economic Growth Act of 2004 to stimulate entrepreneurship and small business growth as a priority for economic and community development in the State of Kansas.

Click here to learn more about Network Kansas and E-Communities.

Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce is located at 231 E. Wall St., Fort Scott, KS 66701 and can be reached at 620-223-3566 or email [email protected].

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Come Before Winter by Pastor James Collins

August 10, 2019 Loretta George 1 Comment

Come Before Winter

“Do thy diligence to come before winter.” 2 Timothy 4:21a

The voice on the other end of the line said, “You need to come quickly. Fred is dying.” Suddenly, I felt weak. I needed to sit down.

I never knew my father. Fred Hambrick was like a father to me. He was my “father” in the faith. He was my “Paul” and I was his “Timothy.” For many years, Fred was my pastor. When I gave my life to Christ, Fred baptized me. When I surrendered to the ministry, Fred mentored me. When I went to seminary, Fred tutored me. He has been a big part of my life. The thought of his dying before I could say “goodbye” was heartbreaking. I had to hurry.

The five-hour drive to Norman, Oklahoma only took four. When I arrived at the hospital, I was greeted in the hallway by Fred’s wife, Lola. My mind could not fully comprehend what she was saying – something about a severe stroke and it being only a matter of time.

I hurried into his room. He looked frail and weak on the hospital bed. “Fred,” I spoke loudly, “It’s me James.” He opened his eyes. His arms tried to lift as if he wanted to embrace me. I grabbed his hands and leaned in so he could hear me, “I love you.” The stroke had robbed him of his voice, but he mouthed, “I love you too.” I said, “I’ve told all your jokes and preached all your sermons. I need you to write me some more.” He seemed to want to laugh at my attempt at humor. I swear there was a smile on his face, but that was impossible. The stroke had taken his smile.

I talked to Fred for a bit. Eventually, I settled into waiting with his family. That night, Dr. A. Fred Hambrick was escorted by angels into the presence of Jesus Christ. Until the Lord comes back or calls me home, I will miss him.

Just before he died, the Apostle Paul wrote from a Roman prison to his “son” in the faith, Timothy. Toward the end of the letter we know as 2 Timothy, Paul tells the young preacher to hurry to see him. He says, “Come before winter.” If Timothy doesn’t get there by winter, it will be too late – Paul will be executed.

Have you ever had a friend, or a loved one die and you think, “It can’t be possible? I just saw him.” But you will never see him on this earth again. You think, “I was going to go see him this week. Or I was going to have supper with him next week. Or I was going to call him tomorrow.” Or that you were going to do this – or say that. But now it is too late.

Time is passing. The calendar is turning. There are only so many days in our lives. There are things in this life that will never be done unless they are done “before winter.” The winter will come, and the spring will pass. Flowers will bloom and then they will die. There are opportunities that we have on this summer day, but by November those opportunities will be gone forever.

The point is: Don’t wait too late. Reach out to that loved one. As you are reading this, there is someone on your mind. I didn’t put them there. God did. Call that person. If possible, go see that person. Tell them you love them. Don’t put it off. Tomorrow may be too late.

Come before winter.

James Collins is senior pastor at Fort Scott’s First Southern Baptist Church. He can be reached at (620) 223-2986, or through the website thepointis.net.

Bourbon County, Business, Fair, Fort Scott, Jobs

Peerless Expands Assembly Lines: Needs More Workers

August 9, 2019 Loretta George Leave a comment

Peerless Products, 2403 S. Main, is the largest employer in Fort Scott with 420 workers.

And they need more assembly lines to grow their business, according to Dave Elliott, Peerless Products Culture and Morale Manager.

Founded in Fort Scott, Kansas in 1952, they manufacturer high-performance aluminum architectural and commercial windows for new construction, replacement and historical construction, according to their website.http://www.peerlessproducts.com/Corporate/About-Peerless

“We need to have the capacity to run more products through, to continue to grow,” Elliott said.

“We purchased the old American Standard warehouse in Nevada (MO) on I-49, we will use that as a staging warehouse,” Elliott said. “That frees up space in the Fort Scott facility for another assembly line.”

The employees the company is looking for?

“Somebody that has a good work ethic and a willingness to learn and grow,” Elliott said. In addition, applicants must have a valid driver’s license, and a high school diploma or GED.

The starting-out wage at the plant is $11 per hour, and “they usually work more than 40 hours a week.”

Day shift is from 6 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday.

“The hours on Friday depends on how much of the product is complete,” Elliott said.

Peerless offers a benefits package that offers health insurance, life insurance, a 401K and an “astounding profit-sharing program,” Elliot said.

Peerless also offers “employee care” activities such as chair massage a couple of times a year and currently are giving employees 20 lb. meat bundles. This processed beef and pork comes from what the company purchases at county fairs of 4-H animals.

Today, Aug. 9, Elliot and Karen Contreras will be at the Ellis Fine Art Center on the campus of Fort Scott Community College for a job fair.

From 2-6 p.m. interested applicants are asked to bring their resume and come for a visit with the two Peerless Products representatives.

Area News, Bourbon County, Fort Scott, Health Care

Bourbon County Coalition Highlights Care To Share

August 8, 2019 Loretta George 1 Comment

Lavetta Simmons presents information about Care To Share at the Bourbon County Inter-Agency Coalition on Aug. 9 at the First Baptist Church.

The Bourbon County Inter-Agency Coalition meets monthly, except July, to allow agencies that help families to network and share what they are all about.

The coalition’s next meeting is Sept. 4 at noon at the First Baptist Church.

The Bourbon County Inter-Agency Coalition met Aug. 7 with Board President Billie Jo Drake leading the meeting.

The mission of the Bourbon County Coalition Board is to provide children with an environment of security, permanence, and a sense of belonging and being loved. To support the mission, grants are applied for annually. Last year the board received a $1,000 grant from the T. B. Baker Foundation and $2,000 from the Southeast Kansas Community Foundation, Billie Jo Drake, president of the board, said at the opening of the meeting.

“We have also received funds from United Way, Key Charitable Trust, Mercy auxiliary, civic organizations and individuals,” Drake said.

The two projects the board focuses on are 1) rent and utility assistance, vetted through another helping agency, The Beacon and 2) pool passes in the summer for area low-income children.

This month, the local helping organization, Care To Share, took its’ turn telling what services they provide the community.

Lavetta Simmons, who along with Joy O’Neal and Teresa Davenport, helped found the ministry in 2007.

“I lost my Mom and Dad to cancer,” Simmons said. “Through that experience, I want to reach out to others.”

“Some people have no family,” she said. “Some have no insurance.”

The number-one expense is gasoline for traveling to treatments, Simmons said.

Last year Care To Share helped people 788 times and gave out $68,874 to assist the cancer patients.

Not only gas for medical appointments but assistance with wigs after hair loss, bras after mastectomies and many other personal needs.

Also housecleaning, respite care, mowing of lawns, meal coordination, providing Ensure (a nutritional drink), and “Sunshine” calls to patients.

Care To Share’s mission is to provide friendship and support through emotional and financial assistance to individuals who are cancer survivors and their caregivers of Southeast Kansas.

For more information contact Simmons at 620-224-8070, Dona Bauer at 620-224-7075 or Teresa Davenport at 620-362-3042.

The organization has fundraisers throughout the year to support the mission.

In addition, “so many people, businesses, organizations and churches give,” she said.

The ministry is also funded by T.B. Baker Foundation, Fort Scott Area Community Foundation, United Way and memorials.

The Care To Share Board is comprised of Dona Bauer, Donna Beerbower, Kathy Clark, Teresa Davenport, Denny Heidrick, Carol Hill, Nancy Hofer, Randy Holt, Richard Long, Dr. Boban Mathew, Sidney Maycumber, Simmons, and Jerry Witt.

Larry Davenport serves as financial advisor to the organization.

Bourbon County, Schools

New UJHS Social Science Teacher: Gabrielle Studer

August 7, 2019 Loretta George 1 Comment

The following is part of a series of new teachers in Bourbon County schools.

Uniontown teachers have In-Service on Monday, August 26. The first day with students is Thursday, August 29.

Name: Gabrielle Studer

Age: 41

Title and where you will teach: Junior high social sciences teacher, Uniontown

Experience: Five years of teaching English at Fort Scott High School, two years as an instructional coach at Fort Scott Middle School.

Education: BS in sociology from MSSU, and earned a teaching license through PSU. “I worked as a social worker for several years before moving to Fort Scott in 2004.”

Family: Husband Brian and two kids, Sadie (age 7) and Callum (age 5).

Hobbies/interests: “I enjoy traveling, reading, snow skiing and of course being with family and friends.”

How did you become an educator?

“I didn’t initially study to be an educator. For several years, I had been enjoying my work in the field of social work. But after moving to Kansas, I found that the private sector required me to have different qualifications than I had. Rather than attending school to gain a similar degree to what I already had, I decided to switch to education. Since high school, I’d always worked in some capacity with youth. It was my niche. So I thought teaching would be fun. And I was right — I love teaching secondary students.”

What is the best part of teaching for you?

“I enjoy teaching because I love hanging out with teenagers. It’s just a serious bonus that I also get to teach material that I love. I could learn all day about history, archaeology, geography, literature — even grammar. As a teacher, I get to keep learning about the topics that thrill me, and I also get to hang out with teenagers, who are so much fun and always full of surprises. I can’t think of a better job. Besides getting paid to travel the world. I admit that would be better.”

What is the greatest challenge in teaching?

“For me, the greatest challenge to teaching is finding a way to interest every student. But if people are having fun together, they often find interest in whatever they’re doing together — even if it’s learning the Pythagorean theorem or diagramming sentences.”

Bourbon County, Elections, Fort Scott

Unofficial Election Results for Bourbon County Primary Election

August 6, 2019 Loretta George Leave a comment

Just in from the Bourbon County Clerk’s Office.

Total votes cast for that person is the first number.

     2019 CITY/SCHOOL PRIMARY                           UNOFFICIAL RESULTS
                                                        BOURBON COUNTY, KANSAS
                                                        AUGUST 6, 2019
     RUN DATE:08/06/19 07:55 PM                                                                                  REPORT-EL45A    PAGE 001
                                                  TOTAL VOTES     %    ELECTION DAY    EARLY VOTE
     
      PRECINCTS COUNTED (OF 16) .  .  .  .  .         16  100.00
      REGISTERED VOTERS - TOTAL .  .  .  .  .      9,771
      BALLOTS CAST - TOTAL.  .  .  .  .  .  .      1,340                   814           526
      VOTER TURNOUT - TOTAL  .  .  .  .  .  .              13.71
     
     CITY COMMISSION FORT SCOTT
     VOTE FOR  3
      Cheryl L. Adamson.  .  .  .  .  .  .  .        219    7.38           122            97
      Harold (Pete) Allen .  .  .  .  .  .  .        247    8.32           157            90
      Kevin "Skitch" Allen.  .  .  .  .  .  .        301   10.14           213            88
      Cynthia Bartelsmeyer.  .  .  .  .  .  .        333   11.22           179           154
      Casey Bolden  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .         58    1.95            43            15
      Tracy Dancer  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .        110    3.70            73            37
      Bobby Duncan  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .         99    3.33            64            35
      Bob Farmer .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .        213    7.17           116            97
      Josh Jones .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .        215    7.24           133            82
      Deb McCoy  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .        329   11.08           195           134
      Diana Morriss .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .        198    6.67           118            80
      Jeanie Parker .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .        204    6.87           111            93
      Lindsey Watts .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .        285    9.60           185           100
      Matthew Wells .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .        158    5.32           106            52
     
     
     SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER POSITION 3 USD 234
     VOTE FOR  1
      Kellye Barrows.  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .        643   49.46           377           266
      Joe Foulk Sr. .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .         36    2.77            26            10
      Michael J. Hoyt  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .        133   10.23            83            50
      Josh Jones .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .        302   23.23           189           113
      Aaron Judy .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .        186   14.31           118            68
     #E

Bourbon County, Business, Fort Scott

Attorney Justin Meeks Gets New Office: Ribbon Cutting Aug. 8

August 6, 2019 Loretta George Leave a comment

Attorney Justin Meeks is in his new office at 1801 S. National Avenue. The wall behind him was the former outside wall of Lockwoods Steakhouse, he said.

Attorney Justin Meeks has moved into his newly renovated office space at 1801 S. National Avenue after months of hard work.

“It would’ve been way cheaper to tear down and build new,” he said. “But we saved the building….it’s got lots of character.”

Character such as original walls with a hand-painted sign and names sketched in concrete from a different era, which were both preserved.

And a great location with Hwy. 69 and National Avenue in close proximity.

The building was renovated and now is the home to Justin Meeks Attorney at Law and Kale Nelson State Farm Insurance.

Meeks is also the Bourbon County Counselor for the county government, which is a part-time position. The new space is for his private law practice, which is also part-time.

“I moved into this space for my private law practice in late June,” Meeks said. “It’s a very limited private practice: probate, business transactions, human resource issues, contract work, landlord-tenant issues, and banking issues.”

As of October 1, Meeks has been the Bourbon County Counselor for five years. “I’ve been out of private practice for five years,” Meeks said.

“I like helping people, that’s why I’m going back into a limited part-time practice,” Meeks said.

His office hours are Monday through Thursday, appointment only; Friday, 9 a.m. to noon and 1-4 p.m.

History Of The Property

Justin Meeks and Kale Nelson purchased the circa 1925 building last year.

The new office spaces have had many repurposings through the years: a machine shop, Lockwood’s Steakhouse, various liquor store owners including Silver Spur Bar, a pet shop, a vape shop and other business entities.

This handwritten note was discovered in the renovation of the 1925 building, during the era of the machine shop. Meeks left the note on the exposed brick as art for his new office.

The renovated building was first used for a machine shop, Meeks was informed by people in the community.

There is a handwritten sign on the exposed brick in his entrance space that says “Leave Tools After Used.”

Then the shop was added onto in the 1960-70s, according to Meeks.

On the concrete floor in a closet, the names Patty Chow and Sharon Manyo are sketched into the concrete.

That’s part of the character of the building that was preserved.

Ribbon Cutting

The Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce will have a ribbon-cutting ceremony celebrating the new location of State Farm Insurance, 1805 S. National Avenue and Meeks Law Firm at 1801 S. National Avenue on Thursday, August 8 following the Chamber of Commerce Coffee, which starts at 8 a.m.

Owner of the property is JK Hold’M Properties, a partnership of Meeks and Nelson.

The public is invited to the ribbon-cutting to view the transformation of the buildings to updated and modernized offices.

Fort Scott Biz