Bourbon County Economic Director Jody Hoener is working on a strategic plan.
“The overall economic development goal is to increase the tax base and lower taxes,” Hoener said. “I’ve been looking at ways to increase the population, looking at strategic activities and programs.”
“I’ve been putting together a strategic plan for the county,” she said. “It’s a process though. I’ve had talks with business and community members.”
“We will partner with the Chamber of Commerce to complete a business retention and expansion survey,” she said.
She hopes to be able to engage and fit small, medium and large businesses in the strategic plan.
Bourbon County Collaboration To Replace Ambulance Service
Bourbon County residents were stunned when Mercy Hospital Fort Scott announced that they would be closing Dec. 31.
Since then Hoenor, along with other county and city officials, have been collaborating on the retention of an ambulance service to fill the void following the closure of the hospital.
The Bourbon County Emergency Medical Services ambulances will be stationed where they currently are: one station at the Fort Scott Fire Department downtown and one station at the Mercy location south of town, Hoenor said. Mercy donated four ambulance trucks.
“The idea is and the current understanding is that the current employees (will keep their job),” she said.
Mercy will be running the EMS until April 1, when the branding and signage will change, Hoener said.
“It’s been pretty fast, everybody understands the strong urgency to it,” she said.
Hoener’s office is located in the Bourbon County Courthouse, 210 S. National Avenue and she can be reached at 620-223-3800 or mobile 620-215-5725 or www.bourboncountyks.org
Fort Scott City Manager Dave Martin gave the attendees of the Chamber of Commerce weekly coffee an update on the 2018 happenings in the city on Dec. 20.
“We got a lot accomplished in 2018,” Martin said. “We had some things thrown at us, but I think we stepped up to the plate.”
The following, provided by Martin, are the completed projects that were a high priority:
Tourism:
The city welcomed more than 5,500 visitors to the new tourism office at the office shared with the Chamber of Commerce, 445 visitor tours on Dolly the Trolley since July, a new lavender festival event, a new Boos and Brews Event, a new Veteran’s Weekend Celebration, the assumption of operations at the La Roche Complex and a Division 1 World Series proposal, the county law change on 30 percent food requirements allowed for the local microbrewery business.
Emergency services:
The city installed the Nex Gen Att and Hosted ITI at the police and fire department, signed a contract with the county to collaborate on Emergency Medical Services and will provide the Human Resource assistance with the services, and added a police K-9 unit with no impact to the budget.
Human Resources:
As of December 2018, there are 97 full-time and 29 part-time employees of the City of Fort Scott. There are monthly KMU training sessions and continued education for all departments. The city is working with Craw-Kan Telephone on a phased upgrade to the IT infrastructure. The city provided a physical activity initiative for its employees and also updated the employee handbook. The city provided an FSA vendor administration transition.
There are four city personnel retirements: Jon Garrison on Sept. 9, Kenny Howard on Dec. 28, Johnny Keating on Jan. 3. 2019, and Shaun West on Dec. 20. There will be a reception for Howard on Dec. 28 at 2 p.m. at city hall and reception for Keating on Jan 3 at 2 p.m. at the fire station.
Promotions this year: Rhonda Dunn to Director of Finance, Jerry Morgan to Streets Supervisor, Jason Pickert to Police Captain, Jacob May and Clint Roberts to Fire Dept. Captain, Alex Schafer, and Clint Lawrence to FSFD Lieutenant Reserves to full-time.
Dav Mohler and Cody McGehee graduated from the Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center.
New employees are Robert Uhler, Director of Community Development; Seth Simpson, airport manager; Bill Rost, WWC maintenance.
Those who have taken the Certified Public Manager designation, a program to prepare managers for careers in government: 2001-Dave Martin, 2014-Paul Ballou, 2015-Travis Shelton, 2016-Dave Bruner, and Traci Reed, 2017-Jason Pickert, 2018-Chad Brown and Larry Gazaway, 2019-Robert Uhler and Michael Mix.
Streets and streets:
The city spent $200,000 on streets in 2018.
The 2018 Sidewalk, Curb and Gutter Program approved six grants in the amount of $12,000 with owner investment of $24,595.
Water utility:
The city maintained 220 miles of water and sewer lines, including 3,100 water connections, rebuilt pump no. 1 and the Fort Scott Community College booster update, added pickleball court lighting, generator load bank, and valve leash, PACP Certification, Vactor training from Key Equipment, added GIS map update, announced refusal to accept grease loads, and provided multiple repairs to the sanitary sewer system.
Community Amenities:
There was a new public golf cart shed constructed, expansion of Craw-Kan Telephone Cooperative fiber network and updates at Lake Fort Scott.
Finance/Codes:
There were 309 building permits issued for revenue of $8,340.
The number of codes cases resulting in a letter or ticket was 473. There were 27 demolition projects: nine were torn down by the city at a cost of $31,043; ten were torn down by the owner which saved $35,000; four were owner repaired; four are in process.
The three officers and director have achieved Kansas Certified Code Enforcement Officer status.
Community Development:
A Fort Scott Landbank was established.
A new direction is being taken by the Food Alliance, with the possibility of a community food bank.
A healthcare task force was formed between the city and Bourbon County.
Economic Development:
Business assistance for relocation, expansion and new businesses was provided by Bourbon County Economic Develpment Council.
A City of Fort Scott Five-Year Comprehensive Plan was approved.
The city reapplied for Kansas Housing Tax Credits to support redevelopment of the Union Building, downtown. This project will add much-needed housing for the workforce.
The city approved nine Downtown Building Improvement Grants totaling $38,904 with an owner investment of $54,898.
The airport revenue increased 75-percent in jet fuel sales from 2017 to 2018. The airport received $286,522 in Kansas Dept. of Transportation Aviation Grants from the Ks. Airport Improvement Program. Grants were completed for future airport expansion.
Emelia Whiteaker, owner and trainer of Momentum Indoor Training. Submitted photo.
Momentum Indoor Training, 2420 S. Main, Suite 900, is offering a free day to use the new facility during Christmas break.
The athletic performance trainer and owner of the business, Emelia Whiteaker, recently opened the training facility, which is located behind Tractor Supply Company.
“I am doing the free day as something for parents to do to get their kids active during the winter break,” said Whitaker. “Anyone can come try the pitching machines or throwing lanes for the day.
The event will be from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday, December 28.
“The batting tunnels will be open for use at no charge. All participants must have a signed waiver by a parent/legal guardian,” Whiteaker said. “Anyone 13 years of age or younger must be accompanied by an adult. Call or e-mail to reserve your time or send us a Facebook message: @mitrainingfs.”
Helping The Beacon, a local food pantry and helping agency, just got a little easier.
For those who shop at Amazon.com, if one goes to smile.amazon.com and names The Beacon as the organization to help, the agency will receive a percentage of the cost of the order.
“Amazon sent a letter to The Beacon inviting the organization to register to receive five percent of a customer’s order,” Carol MacArthur, Beacon Board President said. “It’s a small way to generate funds, but we are happy to be registered.”
From the AmazonSmile website:
“AmazonSmile is a website operated by Amazon with the same products, prices, and shopping features as Amazon.com. The difference is that when you shop on AmazonSmile, the AmazonSmile Foundation will donate 0.5% of the purchase price of eligible products to the charitable organization of your choice.
Every item available for purchase on www.amazon.com is also available on AmazonSmile (smile.amazon.com) at the same price. You will see eligible products marked “Eligible for AmazonSmile donation” on their product detail pages.
If you represent a charitable organization and you would like to learn more about registering your organization to receive AmazonSmile donations, go to org.amazon.com .
Carla Nemecek Southwind Extension District Director & Agent, [email protected], 620-365-2242, 1 North Washington, Iola, KS 66749.
The hectic shopping season is in full swing and with only one more weekend before Christmas, there isn’t a lot of time to find gifts for those hard to buy for agriculture folks. If you are a practical gift giver like myself, you may be looking for gifts for the farmer or rancher in your family, so here are a few ideas for your Christmas shopping list.
Every farmer needs a few essentials to get through those tough winter chores. Items such as sturdy work gloves, coats and coveralls wear out quickly and are usually worn until they are thread bare. The same is true for a good pair of socks, and a heavy pair of insulated socks will not go unappreciated.
If the person you are shopping for is a do-it-yourselfer, which most farmers are, power tools are always in short supply. Sure they have a power drill – but what about a cordless drill? Most all power tools are now offered with a cordless option, and that may prove to be handy when equipment needs repaired out in the field. Speaking of tools, how could anyone (farmer or not) get by without a reliable set of pliers? This is an item that is probably among the array of everyday tools, yet an item that tends to get misplaced often. Better said, one can just never have too many pliers. Pliers can be purchased with a colorful grip that may make them less likely to be lost amongst the other hand tools.
For a simple, easy to find gift, one might consider a new pocket knife. Pocket knives are another item that are a daily necessity. Often used as a screwdriver (another gift idea!), or for cutting twine, scraping mud off boots, and cleaning/trimming fingernails, pocket knives quickly dull. To add a personal touch, the knife can be engraved. A flashlight is another item that is never where it is supposed to be! This time of year, flashlights are often packaged in sets of multiple sizes, which can be convenient in the case of an emergency. For a unique idea, look for an LED flashlight that does not require batteries. Many of these models only require a good shake or have a crank system, and are advertised as “the last flashlight you will ever need.”
If you want to give a gift from the heart, and not from your wallet, then you could always consider offering to clean the pickup or feed truck. The work bench is another area that could always use a little sprucing up too. But if you choose to offer either of these options, make sure you know where to put the tools you find. Cleaning up is only helpful if you put things in their proper place.
As we round out 2018, the Southwind Extension District would like to say thank you to those individuals who have taken the time to be involved with K-State Research and Extension in Neosho, Woodson, Bourbon and Allen Counties. Maybe you attended a meeting, served on the Program Development Committee, or even volunteered with your local 4-H program – our staff sincerely appreciates those who recognize the importance of the Extension Service. Happy Holidays to you and your families!
Front Row—Roger “Skipper” Brown, May Viles, LaShawn Noel, and W.W. O’Bryan. Back Row– Rebecca Davied, Brian Studer, and Jim Barrows
Every December Mercy Hospice volunteers take time out of their schedules to give back by baking cookies and making cookie trays for the patients that are served by Mercy Hospice.
Since July of 2012 Mercy Hospice has served patients and families within a 50-mile radius needing end of life care. Each December volunteers take time to bake and or purchase cookies and prepare cookie trays. All kinds of cookies from no bake, sugar, snickerdoodle, oatmeal and chocolate chip to name a few that are brought in to make a great assortment for the cookie trays for our patients and families. This year, 57 dozen cookies were donated.
Along with the cookies, patients are given a blanket and a copy of the holiday edition of The Daily Bread. When delivered. “This is one way that all of our volunteers can participate and give back to the patients,” said LaShawn Noel, Volunteer Coordinator and Social Worker.
“As we move forward in the coming months our name will soon change, as we have partnered with Integrity Home Care + Hospice to continue to provide end of life care in our community. Although the name will be different our staff and our service will continue to be the same.” Rebecca Davied, Director of Mercy Home Health and Hospice. “We want to thank the community for its ongoing support this last six year.”
Would you like to be a volunteer?
Mercy Hospice is always looking for volunteers age 18 or older. If anyone is interested in becoming a volunteer or would want more information they can contact Mercy Hospice at 620-223-8090 or volunteer Coordinator LaShawn Noel at 620-223-8532 to learn more.
Work has begun on a new hub for Craw-Kan Telephone Cooperative on South Judson Street.
Excavation work can be seen at the property just south of the Family Video Store on South National Avenue.
“Craw-Kan Telephone Cooperative is putting in a small office (at the site),” Bob Guilfoyle, Craw-Kan Plant Manager, said. “It will be an office, the main hub, for our electronics. It will be unmanned.”
“It is mainly for the internet (service), but we offer cable TV and telephone also.”
The building will be approximately 800 square feet facing Judson Street, he said.
The footprint of the Craw-Kan office is pictured here, behind the pile of chat.
“Ken Clary is doing the dirt work and Luke Thomas the concrete,” Guilfoyle said. “We hope to have the building done by the middle of January.”
From National Avenue looking west, the spot is across 18th Street to the east of the Fort Scott Cinema.
Currently, there is a “node” or spot for internal traffic for the surrounding service area located in the Bourbon County Courthouse in the old jail section, he said.
“There will be three nodes total,” Guilfoyle said. “One on the east side of town, one at the golf course and one at the jail. The main core will be at the 1729 S. Judson, the new location.”
Goody’s Clothing Store, 2400 S. Main, is selling all current merchandise and transitioning to the name of Gordman’s.
The timeline is to sell the merchandise by late winter, then there will be a grand re-opening, Melinda Goff, manager of the Fort Scott Goody’s, said.
Goody’s will close March 9 and re-open as Gordman’s on March 21, according to Bria Lundy, Public Relations Director with Stage Stores, the parent company of Goody’s. “We will open 37 Gordman’s stores in March 2019, Fort Scott will be one of them.”
“We will still have the same staff,” Goff said. “Currently, twelve staff, two full time.”
“All current employees have been offered a job there,” Lundy said.
There will be a job fair at the store on Feb. 19, 2019 from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Lundy said.
“GORDMANS VISION STATEMENT:
Thrill every guest with fun finds and exciting deals.
Corporate Headquarters located in Houston, Texas
In 42 states across the US with approximately 800 specialty BEALLS, GOODY’S, PALAIS ROYAL, PEEBLES and STAGE specialty department stores and 68 GORDMANS off-price stores
Average specialty department store size is 18,200 selling square feet and average off-price store is 55,000
Fiscal
Year 2016 sales of $1.4 Billion
Approximately 14,500 employees
Refreshed over 200 of our top volume stores in 2015 and 2016″
Community Christian Church staff front from left: Jamie Beckham, ministry administrator; Stacy Atkins, secretary/receptionist; back row from left: Ian Johnson, student ministry; Paul Martin, children’s ministry and Dusty Drake, pastor. Not pictured: Kara Martin, children’s ministry; Davis Drake, music ministry; Jennifer Addington, Joyce Cowen, secretary/receptionist.
Community Christian Church, 1919 S. Horton, hosted the Fort Scott Chamber of Commerce weekly coffee on Dec. 13.
Pastor Dusty Drake told the attendees “We want everyone to know Jesus and bless others.”
Recently Drake did a series of sermons on BLESS.
“B is begin with prayer, L is listen to people, E is eat strategically with other people, S is serve them, S is tell the story of what God is doing in your life,” Drake explained.
He invited the community to the annual Christmas Eve by Candlelight Service, Dec. 24.
Arrive early for warm beverages and cookies at 5:30 p.m., take a family photo by the Christmas tree.
The service begins at 6 p.m.
Regular Sunday services are at 9 and 11 a.m., with Sunday School in between services.
For more information contact the church at 223-1500.
Christmas Eve Candlelight Service invitations, located near the church doors.Community Christian Church, 1919 S. Horton.Sunday morning services are 9 and 11 a.m. with Sunday School in between.
