Approximately 60 vendors focusing on home, sport, farm and garden, plus booths of community entities, await you at the KOMB-FM 103.9 Home Show this weekend.
Fort Scott Broadcasting Company, owner of KOMB-FM and KMDO-FM is having its annual home show this Friday from 5-8 p.m. and Saturday, 9 a.m to 3 p.m. at Arnold Arena on the campus of Fort Scott Community College, 2108 S. Horton.
Tim McKinney tells the Fort Scott Chamber of Commerce weekly coffee attendees about the home show this weekend. Deb McKinney listens in the background.
“We will have tons of giveaways and great food,” McKinney told the Fort Scott Chamber of Commerce weekly coffee, which they hosted at the show site. “We have more vendors than we have ever had.”
Participating vendors:
Advantage Metals, Albers Marine, Ascension Via Christi, Autumn Exteriors, Bath Innovations, Blue Valley Trailers, Briggs Auto, Bourbon County Conservation District, BN Hunting Supplies, Busy Bugs Pest Control, Care to Share, Community Health Center, City of Fort Scott, Common Ground/Astra Coffee, Country Place Senior Living, Covey Garage Doors, The Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce/Healthy Bourbon County Action Team, FSCC Centennial Committee, Hague Quality Water, Heidricks Tru Value, Home Depot, Home Pro, Jim’s Sales, K-State/Southwind Extension District, LeafFilter, Live Local, Miller Feed & Farm, Momentum Indoor Training, Nemesis Contracting, Norris Heating and Air, O’Malley Implement, Phillip’s Lawn Care, Perry’s Pork Rinds, Pioneer Harvest Fiesta, Pro Active Agriculture, R II Concrete Construction, R&R Equipment, Redbud Farms, Rolox Home Service, Ruddick’s Furniture, Satellite Center, Seal Smart, Sharky’s Pub & Grub, Shirt Shack, SIT Solutions, Skitch’s Hauling & Excavating, Stewart Realty, Stutesman’s Action Realty, Sunscape Pool & Backyard, Thrasher, Inc., Tractor Supply Co., Twister Trailer, Visit Fort Scott, Wreath Ride, U.S. Cellular, and Yutzy Construction.
In conjunction with the home show, Fort Scott Community College is providing a kids fair from 9 a.m. to noon on April 6. Parents can leave their children at the kids fair and enjoy the home show, said Fort Scott Communication Director Kassie Cate.
Tim and Deb McKinney, owners of Fort Scott Broadcasting and Central Communications.
McKinney said his family opened the station in 1954 and the radio station is known for its local news, sports, talk and podcasts, live stream events, live play by play sports and more.
It is headquartered at 2 N. National Avenue and can be contacted at (620) 223-4500.
The budgeting process for the new Bourbon County Emergency Medical Service has two government bodies amending their budgets for 2019.
These actions are because of Mercy Hospital closing in December 2018, and along with that, the hospital ambulance service.
A collaboration between the city and the county will provide the new ambulance service.
The City of Fort Scott will operate the ambulance, Bourbon County Commissioners will bill the insurance and receive the revenue and then reimburse the city. The majority of this budget is wages, taxes and benefits, according to the Fort Scott City Commission March 19 minutes.
A task force was formed to put together a new ambulance service that will serve the community. The task force was comprised of representatives of Mercy, Bourbon County and the City of Fort Scott.
On March 19, the Fort Scott City Commission approved to create a new EMS fund and adopt an EMS budget of $1,004,242, according to the commission minutes.
The county government is also revisiting its budget.
“The county’s projected budget for 2019 for ambulance service is 1.1 million dollars,” Bourbon County Commissioner Lynne Oharah said.
Lynne Oharah
“The county has always had a line item budget for ambulance service which was paid to Mercy,” Oharah said. “I think that that budget item was approved for $316,000 for 2019. This is a budget line item where we will amend our budget.”
“We have (Certified Public Accountant)Terry Sercer working with us on an amendment to the ambulance budget…,” Bourbon County Commissioner Lynne Oharah said.
“This budget will be figured on what we contracted with the city to provide ambulance service, plus what we pay an outside company, OMNI, to provide medical billing and collections, wages for the volunteer employees that staff the third ambulance and other ancillary expenses associated with handling ambulance. Building a budget item for future ambulance replacement included,” Oharah said.
The north wing of the Bourbon County Courthouse houses the Bourbon County Commission, Treasurers Office and the Clerk’s Office.
April is National Sexual Assault Awareness Month and Safehouse Crisis Center is hosting several awareness, educational, and support programs throughout the month for the southeast Kansas community. Safehouse provides free and confidential advocacy, shelter, and therapy services to victims and survivors of sexual violence, domestic violence, dating violence, stalking, and human trafficking in seven counties in southeast Kansas. Safehouse will be honoring the national awareness month with free programming for area survivors and community members.
The awareness month will begin with the “What Were You Wearing?” Survivor Art Installation on Wednesday April 3rd, at the Pittsburg Public Library from 3:00pm – 7:00pm. The Art Installation originated at the University of Arkansas in 2013 and was inspired by Dr. Mary Simmerling’s poem, What I Was Wearing. The Installation asks participants to understand that it was never about the clothing and the act of shedding those clothes is never enough to bring peace or comfort to survivors. The violation is not simply woven in to the fabric of the material, it is a part of the survivor’s new narrative. If only ending sexual violence was as easy as changing our clothes. Instead it requires all of us to evaluate what enabled us as individuals and as a society to ask, “what were you wearing?” in the first place. Attendees can walk through the display anytime between 3:00pm and 7:00pm. The display will also be traveling to Fort Scott and be on display for community members at the Fort Scott Public Library Friday April 12th from 1:00pm – 5:00pm and Saturday April 13th from 9:00am – 12:00pm.
Throughout the month, local southeast Kansas libraries will have sexual assault awareness book displays. Check out the library closest to you that is participating: the Pittsburg Public Library, the PSU Axe Library, the Girard Public Library, the Weir Public Library, the Fort Scott Public Library, the La Cygne Library, the Pleasanton Lincoln Library, and the Coffeyville Public Library.
On Thursday April 18th, Safehouse will be hosting a Rara Rocks Painting Party at 6:00pm at the Pittsburg Public Library. Rara’s Rocks was started by Tamara Suguitan (nickname Rara), a survivor of sexual assault and domestic violence. She shared her story with Rara Rocks, a platform to provide healing and comfort to sexual assault and domestic violence survivors. The mission of Rara’s Rocks is to spread awareness for sexual and domestic violence, the free support the community provides, and to let survivors know they are not alone. Rara’s motto is, “Heal when you reveal your ‘rocks’.” Each rock resembles a person because we are all works of art.
An important part of healing from sexual violence is learning to regain a sense of calm and safety in our lives and in our bodies. In the past decade, research has shown that yoga can also have a strong impact on the healing processes of many survivors of trauma. On Saturday April 20th Safehouse is partnering with Balanced Life Yoga to provide a free trauma-informed yoga class from 2:00pm – 3:00pm at the Eclectic Soul Studio in Pittsburg.
Safehouse will also be hosting a survivor writing workshop series called Write to Empower facilitated by advocates and local community writing professionals. The first workshop on Monday April 15th will focus on Safety, the second on Monday April 22nd will focus on empowerment, and the final workshop on Monday April 29th will focus on healing. All workshops take place at the Pittsburg Public Library from 6:00pm – 7:30pm. Attendees do not have to attend all workshops, but area encouraged to do so.
Community members may attend a free Lunch & Learn about the Dynamics of Sexual Violence on Wednesday April 24th from 12:00pm – 1:00pm at the Pittsburg Fire Department Training Room at 911 W. 4th Street. Attendees bring their own lunch and Safehouse brings the education.
For more information about Safehouse awareness and educational programs, contact Ali Smith, Prevention Education Specialist at 620-231-8692. Safehouse also encourages you to reach out to community and campus groups also providing free programming for Sexual Assault Awareness Month such as Ascension Via Christi (620-231-6100), the Children’s Advocacy Center (620-235-0067), PSU’s Students for Violence Prevention (620-235-4831), PSU’s Student Alliance for Gender Equality (620-235-4512), and the Southeast Kansas National Organization for Women (SEK NOW) [email protected]
Sliding fee discounts and financial assistance is available to eligible patients, as stated on the front door of the CHC/SEK Clinic in Fort Scott.
Since Mercy Hospital closed in December 2018, many changes have happened at the former facility.
One of those changes is the pharmacy, it has transitioned to operating by Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas personnel.
“The Fort Scott (Mercy) Pharmacy officially transferred to CHC/SEK on April 1,” Krista Postai said.
Krista Postai
“We participate in the federal government’s 340B Drug Discount program which allows us to purchase medications at the lowest cost possible,” Postai said. “This makes it possible for us to make sure that cost is never a barrier for people to get their medicines.”
“As a result, we are only allowed to fill prescriptions for patients of a CHC/SEK clinic. Prescriptions from out-of-town specialists may also be filled if they were referred there by one of our physicians and it is documented in their record. Our pharmacists can help with working through that if needed.”
Income from the pharmacy helps cover medicines for those who can’t afford them.
“It is worth mentioning that any income from the pharmacy is redirected back into patient services and helps covers the cost of vouchering medicines for those who can’t afford them, patient navigators, case managers, patient transportation, etc. – resources many patients need but are not reimbursable from other sources,” Postai said.
The staff remains the same.
“Same staff, although we added an additional pharmacist – Julie Pellet – a long-time Mercy employee who had, most recently, worked at the now-closed pharmacy located in Price Chopper,” Postai said.
“Same hours as in the past and delivery as usual,” she said. “Patients can also utilize the drive-through located on the emergency room (south)side of the hospital.”
There have been rumors that CHC/SEK will be leaving the facility in the near future.
“CHC/SEK’s lease for the current clinic in the hospital is for two years, after which we are planning on relocating,” Postai said. “Everything is in the discussion stages, but we know we will need about a 25,000 sq. ft. facility. An initial discussion has been on construction of a new building but we’re not even close to determining which direction we should go yet. We should know more in about a month.”
Bourbon County Emergency Medical Services is, as of today, April 1, the new ambulance service for the community.
For emergency situations, you still dial 911.
“For emergencies, you can dial 911,” Bruner said. “For all non-emergency calls, the public can contact me at 620-223-2140.” Bruner is the Fort Scott Deputy Fire Chief.
Bruner is a representative of the City of Fort Scott on a task force that was given the job of transitioning the services, there were also representatives from Bourbon County and Mercy Hospital.
“The transition has been a learning process with all the licensing and credentialing that takes place,” Bruner said. “We are very appreciative to Mercy with the assistance they have provided to make this transition into Bourbon County EMS.”
“Currently, we will remain stationed at Mercy Hospital and the Fort Scott Fire Department Station 1 (located on National Avenue),” Bruner said.
The city will operate the ambulance, the county will bill the insurance and receive the revenue and then reimburse the city. The majority of this budget is wages, taxes and benefits, according to the Fort Scott City Commission March 19 minutes.
“We currently have six ambulances,” Bruner said. “Three of those are staffed 24/7.”
Currently, there are 11 full-time emergency medical services staff members, according to Bruner.
“Of those, four are paramedics, 1 paramedic/registered nurse and six emergency medical technicians,” Bruner said. “In addition to the full-time staff, we have 15 PRN staff. Of those four are paramedics, four are AEMT’s and seven are EMT’s.”
“Other than the logo change on the uniforms and the decals on the trucks, the service remains the same,” Bruner said.
Insurance
“We now have most, if not all, of the enrollment completed with all identified insurance carriers,” Bourbon County Commissioner Lynne Oharah said. “But it’s early in the insurance reimbursement process and we will be able to obtain a clearer picture of our monthly insurance reimbursements going forward. We are hopeful that reimbursements will cover expenses.”
Building Donated By Mercy
A building on the campus of the former Mercy Hospital is being remodeled for Bourbon County EMS.
“Renovations are still being completed at the new EMS headquarters located on the northeast corner of the Mercy Campus,” Bruner said.
“Mercy has graciously offered the donation of the EMS building,” Jody Hoenor, a member of the task force, said. “We are only waiting on the finalization of some of this paperwork.”
County jail work-release prisoners have worked on the renovation of the building, with work slated for completion by April 15, Hoenor said.
New EMS Director Being Sought
Christi Keating is the current EMS Director but is resigning, according to the city minutes.
“They have been interviewing candidates and we will be announcing the new hire soon,” Hoenor said.
History
Mercy Hospital closed in December 2018.
Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas now operates the medical clinic at the site, while Ascension Via Christi operates the emergency services department.
Each Kansas county must provide ambulance services to its residents, according to state statute, Commissioner Oharah said.
2018-2019 National Qualifiers to compete in Dallas, Texas in June!
Hunter Adamson and Zoe Self – 1st in DUO
Zoe Self – 1st in International Extemp
Mark Adams – 1st in Lincoln Douglas Debate and
Mark Adams – 2nd in United States Extemp
Elizabeth Ngatia – 1st in Program Oral Interp
Madi Toth – 1st in Program Oral Interp
Neil Gugnani and Shekhar Gugnani – 2nd in Public Forum Debate
Rebekah Sweyko – 1st in United States Extemp
Jonie Antonio – Student Congress Representative
We also had many students who made it to finals round!
Those competitors are:
Jade Russell and Jorden Willard placed 4th in Public Forum Debate
Audra McFarland and Karina Kantilal placed 4th in DUO
Shekhar Gugnani placed 4th in International Extemp
Jade Russell place 6th place in International Extemp
Landon Doherty placed 4th in Lincoln Douglas Debate
Karina Kantilal placed 5th in Program Oral Interp
The students who made it to semi-finals in addition to those listed above are:
Takia Page in United States Extemp
Reaghn Dowell in International Extemp
Kim Schwab, Roger Kemp, and Bill Martin visit with Jacqui Spradling following the Fort Scott Chamber of Commerce Coffee Thursday.
The tragic murder of his daughter spurred Roger Kemp and his wife to action.
Ali Kemp was 19 years old in 2004 when she was raped and murdered in Leawood, a Kansas City suburb.
“That’s why we do this program,” Kemp said. “We don’t want it to happen to anybody else.”
The Kemps helped facilitate the creation of a self-defense program for females from middle-school age to “a 90-year-old grandmother,” he said.
The Ali Kemp Education Foundation, T.A.K.E., is coming to Fort Scott Middle School on Saturday, April 27 from 10 a.m. to noon.
Jill and Bob Leiker are the chief instructors for the class.
“Bob was formerly in law enforcement,” Kemp said. “Bob has been into prisons and interviewed several predators to find out what they look for.”
Since its inception, the T.A.K.E. program has seen 68,000 people go through the self-defense class nationwide, Kemp said.
Kim Schwab, an administrative assistant at the Bourbon County Law Enforcement Center, is currently taking registrations for the class.
She can be reached at the jail by calling 620-223-1440 or stopping by the center, located at 293 E. 20th in Fort Scott, for an application. Alternatively, one can access the application on the Bourbon County Law Enforcement Center Facebook page.
“Sheriff Bill Martin directed me to the T.A.K.E. class,” Schwab said. “It is one-hour of education and the second-hour to learn the moves you need to get away (from an attacker).”
A donation of $12 is requested, but not required.
Sponsors for the class are being sought by the Sheriff’s office.
Chamber members take advantage of the tour of the second-floor office of the Bourbon County Attorney following the Chamber of Commerce coffee.
A large number of people crowded into the hallway of the Bourbon County Courthouse Thursday morning to attend the Fort Scott Chamber of Commerce weekly coffee.
Many of the county’s departments were represented at the coffee.
Community announcements were given, with each announcer paying $1 to the Fort Scott Trolley Car transportation fund.
This week’s coffee was hosted by the Bourbon County Commission, with First District Commissioner Lynne Oharah telling of the events coming up in the county.
First District Bourbon County Commissioner Lynne Oharah.Nick Ruhl, District 3 Bourbon County Commissioner.Jeff Fischer, District 2 Bourbon County Commissioner.
Oharah invited the attendees to tour the facility on the first floor that houses the Bourbon County Clerk, Treasurer, County Commission Room, Economic Director and Counselor.
Also open for viewing was the second-floor Bourbon County Attorney Office space, which has been in use since October.
Bourbon County Attorney Jacqui Spradling.
Oharah said the commission is “looking to renew a one-cent sales tax for maintaining or new hard-surfaced roads in the county.”
On another subject, he also noted that “the county is totally responsible for the ambulance service as of April 1.”
This following the closing of Mercy Hospitali n October and the transitioning to the county’s responsibility for the ambulance.
Economic Director Jody Hoenor said the transition was a “team approach” between the county, Mercy and the City of Fort Scott.
Hoenor advised people to contact their insurance provider directly to see if the ambulance service will be covered in their policy.
Hoenor also said she is working on a strategic plan for the county which focuses on “increasing our population to spread the tax base over many shoulders.”
Angel Wilson, victim witness coordinator and office administration; Judy Hood, senior legal secretary and juvenile victim witness coordinator; and Staci Haynes, diversion and senior legal secretary at the Bourbon County Attorney’s Office.Jim Harris, Bourbon County Public Works Director.J.T. Heckman, Bourbon County Public Works Supervisor.
Tri-Valley Developmental Services, 4305 Campbell Drive, located in Fort Scott’s Industrial Park.
The long winter is almost over. Gardeners are getting antsy to get their hands in the dirt in their gardens.
“It’s winter time,” Barb McCord, Tri-Valley Developmental Services (TVDS) Horticultural Therapist, said. “I know a lot of gardeners are excited about getting started.”
The 7th Annual Gardeners Christmas Auction, Saturday, March 30, will help assist them to get started.
Barb McCord tells about some of the plants grown in the greenhouse at Tri-Valley Developmental Services.
The silent auction along with the plant and garden decor sale is from 10 a.m. to noon at the TVDS, located in Fort Scott’s Industrial Park at 4305 Campbell Drive.
Barb McCord shows a butterfly house for sale at the silent auction.
“I tell people it’s down the hill from Key Industries,” McCord said.
Coleus grown covers will be for sale.
The sale benefits the horticulture therapy program at TVDS.
“It’s been a successful addition to our client’s lives and provides a quality product to our community,” McCord said.
Ferns will be for sale.
The clients do science experiments, work on fine motor skills, work on following directions and learn to work as a team, among others, she said.
There will be a “compost bin”, with gently used gardening items and other items donated by the community at the sale.
“Hoses, tools, an exercise bike, a leaf shredder, a birdcage and stand, supports for plants and gardening books, McCord said.
The following will be for sale at the Gardener’s Christmas Auction:
Lots of herbs, veggies, flowers, hanging basket items and other plants will be for sale.A handmade table will be for sale: a cedar post inlaid in concrete.A table top planting unit is for sale.A spring decor item for sale.A conceal carry purse will be for sale.Jewelry for sale at the auction.
Alan Shinn has been a math teacher for 50 years at Uniontown High School, getting to his math room by 6 or 7 a.m. daily to prepare for class and be available for students with math questions.
UHS Math Teacher Alan Shinn looks over a lesson for class.
As of May 17, he is retiring.
His long tenure began with an interest in math as a youth.
As a freshman at Iola High School, Shinn was challenged by his algebra teacher, Mr. Jewell.
“He would answer every question with a question,” Shinn said. “I know that frustrated fellow students. But it made me attempt to do the problem. I decided my freshman year I wanted to be a math teacher.”
Shinn attended Allen County Community College, then Kansas State Teachers College at Emporia, getting a degree in mathematics.
He was the first person in his family to attend college.
Shinn started his first year of teaching math at Uniontown High School in 1969, with a $19,000 contract.
He found out about the UHS math vacancy from his uncle Don Nichols, who was the math teacher at the school for seven years.
His first year of teaching was a learning curve.
“The first year, my wife and I would go to Kansas City (to visit Don Nichols) a half-dozen times to get advice and answer questions I had about teaching,” Shinn said.
“I owe a lot to those two gentlemen: my freshman teacher and my uncle,” he said.
There was another motivation.
“My Dad worked at the cement plant,” Shinn said. “I got to work there for two summers. It was hot and dirty and I didn’t want to do that for the rest of my life.”
During his first year of teaching at UHS, Shinn was offered a scholarship from the National Science Foundation (NSF) through Pittsburg State University to get his masters degree in math.
At that time in history, science and mathematics were being strongly encouraged in the U. S. education system due to the space technology challenge from the Russians.
“They (NFS) paid for the master’s degree,” Shinn said.
“I think they need to do that again,” he said. “There is a shortage of math teachers.”
In his 50 years of teaching at UHS Shinn has coached math students into more than one hundred first-place victories in competitions with from three to 30 schools. Additionally, he has coached students to 46 second-place school awards and 24 third-place overall school achievements.
Some of Shinn’s math students’ awards line the wall in his room at UHS.
“I have had more than 20 students who are now math teachers,” Shinn said. “Two more are going to college right now to become math teachers.”
Additionally, a current UHS senior and sophomore have a desire to become math teachers, he said.
“I have always been known for giving lots of homework,” Shinn said. “I don’t think you can learn math and do one-half dozen problems per night.”
The best part of teaching for Shinn is doing the best he can to get his students to “be able to go to college (math) and get through it.”
Submitted by Rachel Pruitt, Fort Scott’s Economic Development Director. The City and Chamber do the research by calling the employers, according to Pruitt.
Rachel Pruitt, Fort Scott’s Economic Development Director says the city has seen job growth in the last decade.
She provided the above graph to demonstrate that growth.
“The graph represents the job growth Fort Scott has seen since 2010,” she said. “The data is collected by the City and Chamber by contacting each of the employers. The City anticipates the growth to continue given there are over 75 current openings within the community.”
” The City and Chamber do the research by calling the employers,” according to Pruitt.
The Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce is working to help fill job openings by sponsoring the 2019 Spring Job Fair on Tuesday, April 2 from 10 a.m to 2 p.m. at the Ellis Fine Arts Center on the campus of Fort Scott Community College, 2108 S. Horton Street.
“Employers of any size seeking employees are encouraged to reserve a booth,” according to a press release from the Chamber. “The job fair will give business owners the opportunity to recruit both students and community members for seasonal, part-time and full-time positions. This event is also an opportunity for employers to network with each other and to promote their company to the public.”
An employer booth at the job fair is $50 for Chamber members or $90 for non-Chamber members.
Lunch, if desired, is $10 per person.
To register, or for more information, contact the Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce at 620-223-3566 or visit fortscott.com.
Job fair informaiton submitted by Monica Walden, Administrative Assistant of the Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce which is located at 231 E. Wall Street, Fort Scott, KS 66701.
