McDonald’s Fort Scott is open once again for business, following a hiatus from November 13 to December 8, when the drive-through service only was available.
The restaurant is located at Main and 23rd Street, 2224 S. Main.
“McDonald’s Corporation wants to refresh and re-image McDonald’s nationwide,” Michael Durbin, general manager at the Fort Scott McDonald’s said.
Following the renovation, there are some new features.
A station called a kiosk, where customers can self-order and pay at the kiosk with a debit/credit card or pay at the counter has been installed.
Michael Durbin, general manager of Fort Scott’s McDonalds, demonstrates how to use the ordering kiosk at the restaurant, a new feature.
USB ports have been installed throughout the restaurant for cell phone and computer use.
New decor in grey and yellow has been installed.
Also new: no more McCafe HappyHour.
The grand-reopening of the store is Friday, Dec. 14 at 8 a.m., when the Fort Scott Chamber of Commerce will have a ribbon-cutting event.
A new food menu item is a mushroom swiss burger or chicken sandwich, Durbin said.
There will be food specials throughout the next week, including on Dec. 14 there will be 69 cent cheeseburgers from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
A list of the foods that will be discounted until Dec. 22.
Mark McCoy is the owner and there are currently 60 employees.
Workers pause for a consult on U.S. Highway 69, south of Fort Scott on Dec. 11.
Even though traffic is now running head-to-head on the new U.S. 69 corridor in Bourbon County, the section will not be completed until next year.
“We’re giving the contractor a time extension on this project because of extensive deterioration on the existing lanes,” Priscilla Petersen, Public Affairs Manager for the Southeast Office of the Kansas Department of Transportation, said.
“The deteriorated sections are to the point where additional concrete patching is necessary,” she said. “The contractor plans to begin removing the old pavement this month, but weather conditions won’t allow for placement of new concrete until next March. This extra patching extends the completion of the project until late spring/early summer of 2019.”
“A reduced speed limit of 55 mph is posted on the new lanes, with four crossovers posted at 45 mph. After the entire project is open to four-lane traffic the speed limit will again be increased to 65 mph.”
The Crawford County section will be next in the expansion to a four-lane highway from a two-lane highway.
“There are two connecting expansion projects planned for U.S. 69 in Crawford County,” Petersen said. “The first is the Arma Connection U.S. 69 expressway. The Arma Connection is six miles long. It will start at the U.S. 69/K-47 junction north of Pittsburg and continue north, ending three miles north of the Arma city limits. Construction is tentatively scheduled to begin in early 2020.”
“The U.S. 69 Crawford County expansion is five miles long. It will begin three miles north of the Arma city limits and end at the Crawford-Bourbon county line. Construction is tentatively scheduled to start in early 2021.”
“I can’t give an exact date for completion of these projects since the plans are still being developed,” Petersen said. “Both projects would likely require two construction seasons. We’ll have more details moving forward.”
FSHS Select Ensemble Director Meredith Reid welcomes the attendees to the Christmas performance.
In its’ first performance of the Christmas season, the Fort Scott High School Select Ensemble entertained the attendees of Community Christian Church’s open house Monday at lunch.
The ensemble is the direction of Meredith Reid and was accompanied by Pat Harry.
This Thursday, Dec. 13, the FSHS choir, band, and orchestra will perform a Christmas concert at the high school gym, 1005 S. Main, at 7:30 p.m.
On Sunday, Dec. 16 at 3 p.m. the FSHS Select Ensemble will perform during a fundraiser that provides for attire, music, travel expense and guest conductors for the music group.
The concert entitled “Classic Christmas” is $10 for adults, $5 for children and includes homemade cookies and coffee following.
Also featured in the concert is Dan Duling and the Stone Country Band, a group of local musicians.
Hedgehog.INK, a bookstore at 16 S. Main that opened recently, is having a children’s story time on Saturday, Dec. 15 at 10:30 a.m.
Dick Hedges, co-owner of Hedgehog.INK, is the official book labeler, he said.
“Several people said they would like to take their children to the library story time, but work (makes it inconvenient), so we are offering one on Saturdays,” Jan Hedges, one of the owners of the Hedgehog.Ink said.
Following the story time, children will be able to decorate sugar cookies, she said.
“Rob Shaw, from Crooner’s, will be leading the children’s Christmas cookie decorating,” Jan said.
There is a story time each month, always on a Saturday morning, with some type of activity following.
Some of the children’s Christmas books offered at the bookstore.
A little later in the day, an artist will be featured, along with his work.
The store features a local artist each month.
Tony Fornelli, a local woodcarver, will be showing his wares and telling about his work, at 3 p.m. on Dec. 15.
Some of Fornelli’s wood creations.
In addition to the decor, Fornelli also offers carved knives made out of deer antlers.
“He will bring a couple to show, ” she said, “As well as talk about wood carving and how he does it.”
A bio of Tony Fornelli.
In addition to books, the store sells chocolate, lavender products, goat milk products, handmade cards and gift certificates.
Lavender products are produced locally by Betsy and Davin Reichard and sold in Hedgehog.INK.Goat milk products for skin and hair are locally produced by Locust Hill LaMancha Dairy Goats.Locally handcrafted Christmas and other cards by Jean Solomonson.Cards produced by artist Paul Milks.Jan Hedges shows the chocolates produced in Emporia that are for sale at the store.
Currently, the store is having a writing activity. Store goers are encouraged to write about “What I Love About Christmas.”
A task force began in October 2018 following the announcing of the closure of Mercy Hospital Fort Scott.
That task force has been meeting weekly since, to work on issues regarding the need for emergency medical services following the closure of Mercy.
“There is a statute that counties are to provide EMS services,” Dave Bruner, a member of the task force said.
“What is in concrete at this point is that the county and the city have signed a contract to provide a service for a year,” Bruner said.
Since both the City of Fort Scott and Bourbon County Commission had already set their budget for 2019 prior to the announcement of Mercy closing, it put them in an uncertain financial position to provide those emergency medical services.
Fort Scott City Hall
“We said ‘let’s put this together and after a year, look at the contract’,” Bruner said.
“When Mercy announced the closure, they have to give 180 days notice,” Bruner said. “So April 1 is when we will be fully Bourbon County EMS.”
“In the meantime from Jan. 1 to April 1, there will be a change of labels on the ambulances,” he said. “Mercy is obligated until April 1. They will still be employees of Mercy.”
There are currently six full-time employees and 16 part-time employees of Mercy EMS.
“We are going to do our best to retain all of them,” Bruner said. “The city will run the day to day operations of the service-the staffing of ambulances and dispatch.”
The county will pay a subsidy to the city and handle the billing.
“There is a goal to establish a third-party entity to do the billing for the county,” Bruner said.
“The first responders (in emergency situations) in the small towns will continue to be local volunteer fire departments and EMT’s,” he said.
This provides help until the ambulance can arrive on sight of the emergency.
“The goal is to keep the same familiar faces,” Bruner said. “The only thing that will change will be the names on the ambulance and the uniforms.”
“My goal is to give the EMS a place to call their own facility,” he said
Currently, the task force is in negotiations.
“We don’t have a list of what Mercy is donating yet,” Justin Meeks, Bourbon County Legal Counselor said.
“We hope donations will be finalized by Dec. 18,” Meeks said.
Under discussion in negotiations are vehicles, equipment and facilities.
The task force is comprised of Nick Ruhl, Meeks, Jody Hoener from the county; Dave Martin, Bruner, Robert Uhler, Paul Ballou, Rhonda Dunn and Deb Needleman from the city; and Christi Keating from Mercy.
Ken Collins, 102 E. First St., Mulberry, is the newly elected Second District Kansas State House of Representative.
“The district covers most of Crawford County, except Pittsburg, and the eastern edges of Neosho and Allen Counties along with the western edge of Bourbon County including Bronson and Uniontown,” Collins said.
Collins has been transitioning from citizen to a representative since being elected in November.
Orientation began last Sunday with social events and meetings.
Election of House leadership positions took place this week, Collins said.
He will be in his Topeka apartment at the beginning of January, he said.
“But I plan to come back home most weekends. It is important to me to not lose touch with the people of the district,” he said.
Constituents may contact Collins at his cell phone number,620-240-0778 or personal email [email protected].
“I will also have an official email address that will be available on the Kansas.gov website,” Collins said.
“I hope to have regular updates and I plan to continue the Facebook page that I established during the campaign. It can be accessed on Facebook by searching for @kansasdistrict2.”
His priority is to see that US HWY 69 continues to be upgraded to four lanes all the way to the south of the Arma/Franklin bypass, he said.
Temperatures hovering at the freezing mark did not stop the Chamber of Commerce’s Fort Scott Christmas parade Tuesday, Dec. 4.
Following are some snapshots of the event.
Feel free to add photos.
Bethel Community Baptist Church provided a living nativity in downtown Fort Scott Tuesday evening.Parkway Church of God’s float in the Fort Scott Christmas parade Tuesday evening.Fort Scott High School Band students entertained the crowd at the Christmas parade.The Buck Run Community Center staff offered free hot cocoa at the parade.Customers view the offerings at Christmas At the Empress, a sale of local vendors, who set up a temporary shop Tuesday evening at the same time as the parade. The Empress Event Center is located at 7 N. Main.
The Courtland Hotel, 112 E. First Street, is the host for the Historic Preservation Association of Bourbon County’s annual fundraising event-Moonlight and Mistletoe.
The event, this Friday, December 7, is open to the public, and tickets are available at the Visitors Center or Chamber of Commerce, 231 E. Wall.
The cost is $25 per person. Food and a cash bar is available.
“The Historic Courtland Hotel, located in downtown was gracious and opened the hotel to us,” Rhonda Dunn, chair of the HPA said. “Many people in town will not have seen inside the Courtland Hotel & Spa or in the rooms, because in general, we don’t use hotels in our own town. This is an opportunity to check out the hotel built in 1906.”
There are 20 people employed at the Fort Scott Police Department. One long-serving officer will retire and one will be promoted to replace him, according to the police chief.
“Shaun West is retiring on December 21, 2018,” Police Chief Travis Shelton said. “Jason Pickert has been promoted to Police Captain and will assume his new assignment upon Shaun’s retirement.”
Shaun West. Submitted photo.
Captain Shaun West began his career at the Fort Scott Police Department as a reserve officer in 1990.
In 1993 he was hired on full-time.
“I have been a reserve officer, patrol officer, detective, sergeant, lieutenant, and captain”, West said.
After 28 years in Bourbon County, West is retiring from the FSPD and has moved to Linn County.
“I have moved into Linn county where my wife is a deputy, my brother is a chief and my son is an officer,” he said.
“I will be looking for work that allows me time to spent with my grandchildren and to build a home on one of the lakes, which we have purchased property on,” he said.
Jason Pickert. Submitted photo.
Detective Sgt. Jason Pickert will be promoted to captain, upon West’s leaving.
Pickert has been with the Fort Scott Police Department 14 years.
Throughout this career, he has been an officer, detective, detective, sergeant, and now captain.
Pickert said being in law enforcement has been enjoyable because of the people he works with.
“My fellow officers, dispatchers, and the firemen and EMT’s that we share a building with are all good people, that are fun to be around and that makes it easy to come to work every day,” Pickert said.
“Also, Law Enforcement is very interesting because you never know what type of call you will be responding to or what type of case you will be investigating.”
From left to right: Hugo Dahlstrom, Occupational Therapist; David Shank, Physical Therapist; Denny Gillard, Physical Therapist. Not pictured: Janet Smith, Physical Therapist, and Sarah Moore, Office Assistant.
Mercy Therapy Services will get a new name Dec. 31, 2018, when Mercy Hospital Fort Scott closes.
“I Am Rehab LLC is the official name of our business,” Hugo Dahlstrom, occupational therapist, said. “I Am Rehab & Fitness will be on our logo and signage. It is comprised of David Shank, Denny Gillard, and I.”
“We have not signed a lease agreement yet so we do not have an official start date, but we plan to be open immediately after Mercy closes on January 1,” Dahlstrom said.
“We will continue to provide physical therapy, occupational therapy, fitness center memberships, personal training, and pre-work screens,” he said.
The fitness center will still be available to the community.
“We will offer memberships at the same rates as Health For Life,” Dahlstrom said.
