The following is the link to the Fort Scott City Commission Agenda Packet for the meeting at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 21 in the commission room at city hall, 123 S. Main.
All posts by Loretta George
Robotic Milking Comes To Foster Dairy
Braving the dropping temperatures, around 250 visitors took advantage of the Foster Dairy Farm Open House Saturday.
The Foster family was showcasing their transition from milking their cows in a 12-cow parlor to milking them robotically. Since September 2016 their cows have 24 hours a day, 7 days a week access to being voluntarily milked.
“An interesting fact is the Kansas Department of Agriculture gave me statistics adjusted for 2017 about our farm,” David Foster said.
“The Bourbon County dairy industry has a direct economic benefit effect to our county of $11.5 million and provides 25 jobs,” Foster said. “The dairy industry provides 1.2 percent of the gross revenues for the county. We are doing quite a bit from our little farm.”
Lynda and Gary Foster and their eldest son David and his wife, Addi Foster are the owners of the dairy farm located southwest of Fort Scott at 1037 Hwy. 39.
In addition to tours of the facility, a meal was provided tour attendees, along with door prizes. Sponsors helping with the tour were Producer’s Cooperative of Girard who cooked the burgers, brats and hot dogs that were served, DFA/Midwest Dairy, UMB Bank, Seneca Dairy Supply, Uniontown FFA, Fort Scott FFA and Fort Scott Chamber of Commerce.
See more about the Foster Dairy on its Facebook page.
Walking/Biking Benefits Presented Along With Plans For Sidewalks/Trails
Walking or biking instead of driving a vehicle is a quality of life issue, according to information from representatives of the PedNet Coalition, Columbia, Mo. and the Healthy Bourbon County Action Team.
The two cited benefits in a non-motorized transportation plan report presented to the Fort Scott City Commission and then the Uniontown City Council Tuesday evening.
Other benefits cited by Abby St. George, PedNet technical assistant officer, are improved health and health care costs, reduced transportation costs and boosting economic development.
St. George and Jody Hoener, Mercy Clinic Quality and Community Benefit Liaison, presented the report.
Half of the children who live within one-half mile, a 10-minute walk or less from school, are driven, according to Safe Routes to School
National Partnership, and presented in the report to the City of Fort Scott.
Here is an excerpt from the report:
“Many adult residents are also making trips in their automobiles that could be made by foot or bicycle. For example, of trips that are less than one mile, over two-thirds are taken by private automobile (League of American Bicyclists, 2010). The automobile is a wonderful device that allows us to travel to destinations our great-grandparents may have never thought possible, but its overuse, especially for short distances, is leading to severe health consequences.Obesity truly has become an epidemic in the United States,” according to the report.
Summarizing the Fort Scott Non-Motorized Transportation Plan improvement costs: sidewalk priority projects are estimated to be $1,731,842; U.S. Hwy 69 Trail Priority Project -$1,964,444; on-street priority projects -$330,300; with total costs estimated to be $4,026,586.
Uniontown’s Non-Motorized Transportation Plan is basically one sidewalk that leads from the two schools to the convenience store.
Costs for an ADA accessible sidewalk from the schools on the east side of Uniontown to Union Station convenience store on the west side of town are estimated to be just over $50,000.
Crosswalk improvements for the sidewalk are estimated to be $44,000, with a total cost of the recommendations-$97,420.
A grant through Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas allowed The City of Fort Scott and The Healthy Bourbon County Action Team to develop a Fort Scott Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan.
Healthy Bourbon County Action Team’s goal is to, “engage key stakeholders in areas where our community members spend most of their time–where they eat, work and play. The focus on physical activity, healthy eating, and tobacco cessation directly affect outcomes of our identified community health needs, ”according to the report.
The governing bodies will now need to find funding avenues for the recommended non-motorized transportation projects, but PedNet provided them with four and one-half pages of federal, state, local, non-profit and private funding opportunities.
St. George noted that with the plans completed, it could add points to a grant application.
To see the breakdown and details of the recommendations:
Walmart Pick Up Sign
The white word “Pickup” stands out on the orange wall of Wal-Mart on South Main Street.
“This is to let people know we have pickup now,” Joyce Earp, a manager at Wal-Mart, said. “You can order online and come in and pick it up the same day, if it’s in the store.”
The pickup location is in the back of the store with a “Site to Store” sign, she said.
Some Wal-Mart stores have the ability for customers to order online and Wal-Mart will deliver, but the Fort Scott store doesn’t yet, Earp said.
Bourbon County Commission To Attend Jail Project Meeting
The agenda for the Bourbon County Commission November 17.
The commission meets on the 2nd floor of the county courthouse, 210 S. National Avenue.
Tuesdays starting at 9:00
Date: November 17th, 2017
1st District-Lynne Oharah Minutes: Approved: _______________
2nd District-Jeff Fischer Corrected: _______________
3rd District-Nick Ruhl Adjourned at: _______________
County Clerk-Kendell Mason
10:00-Commissioners will attend a jail project meeting.
Justifications for Executive Session:
· Personnel matters of individual non-elected personnel
· Consultation with an attorney for the body or agency which would be deemed privileged in the attorney-client relationship
· Matters relating to employer-employee negotiations whether or not in consultation with the representative(s) of the body or agency
· Confidential data relating to financial affairs or trade secrets of corporations, partnerships, trusts and individual proprietorships
· Preliminary discussions relating to the acquisition of real property
· Matters relating to the security of a public body or agency, public building or facility or the information system of a public body or agency, if the discussion of such matters at an open meeting would jeopardize the security of such public body, agency, building, facility or information system
Sugarfoot and Peaches Fire
The Fort Scott Fire Department received a call November 10 at 2:49 p.m. of a fire at Sugarfoot and Peaches BBQ, 1601 E. Wall.
A total of four fire trucks and 10 people worked to contain the fire, Dave Bruner, Fort Scott Fire Marshall said.
Helping also were Bourbon County Sheriff’s Office, Fort Scott Police Department, and Mercy Hospital Emergency Medical Services.
“The owner and one other person spotted the fire and called it in,” Bruner said.
John Embry is the owner of Sugarfoot and Peaches.
There were no injuries.
The building experienced extensive smoke damage throughout.
“The cause is undetermined,” Bruner said.
Calls to the business were met with a “Not In Service” message.
Bourbon County Commission Agenda Nov. 16
The Bourbon County Commission meets on the 2nd floor of the courthouse, 210 S. National Ave. at 9 a.m. Nov. 16.
The following is the agenda for today provided by the county clerk’s office.
1st District-Lynne Oharah Minutes: Approved: _______________
2nd District-Jeff Fischer Corrected: _______________
3rd District-Nick Ruhl Adjourned at: _______________
County Clerk-Kendell Mason
9:00-9:45-Jim Harris
9:45-10:15-Commissioners consider and take action on any and all questions or issues which may arise regarding the law enforcement project.
10:30-Solid Waste Resolution
11:00-12:00-Justin Meeks
12:00-1:30-Commissioner are gone to lunch
1:30-Clint Anderson
2:30-Employee Handbook
Justifications for Executive Session:
· Personnel matters of individual non-elected personnel
· Consultation with an attorney for the body or agency which would be deemed privileged in the attorney-client relationship
· Matters relating to employer-employee negotiations whether or not in consultation with the representative(s) of the body or agency
· Confidential data relating to financial affairs or trade secrets of corporations, partnerships, trusts and individual proprietorships
· Preliminary discussions relating to the acquisition of real property
· Matters relating to the security of a public body or agency, public building or facility or the information system of a public body or agency, if the discussion of such matters at an open meeting would jeopardize the security of such public body, agency, building, facility or information system
2017 Official Election Results
Final results of the 2017 General Election were made with 1,501 out of 11,667 voters making the calls.
Fort Scott City Commission: Robert Nichols, 650; JoLynne Mitchell, 565; Cheryl Adamson, 451. The top three candidates in votes were declared the winners.
Mayor of Bronson: Alan Stewart, 58; Lee Roy Whitcomb, 20.
Mayor of Fulton: No filings; Misty Adams was declared the winner with 11 write-in votes.
Mayor of Mapleton: No filings; Ronald Burton Jr. was declared the winner with 3 votes out of 7 write-in votes.
Mayor of Redfield: Clarence Ed Guss, 20. There were 13 write-in votes.
Mayor of Uniontown: Larry Jurgensen was declared the winner with 19 write-in votes out of 26.
City Council of Bronson: Clearsia Botts, 65; Geraldine Reeder, 61; Michael Stewart, 51; write-in winner is Joshua Marlow, 46; Charlotte Stewart, 43. The top five candidates in votes were declared the winners.
City Council of Fulton: All were write-in candidates: Robert Durbin, 11; Larry Paddock, 11; Stuart Cook, 11; Michael Clooney, 8 and Phillip Gratton, 4.
City of Redfield Council: Kirby Martin, 31; Mike Beerbower, 30; Richard Smith, 25; Clarence Ed Guss, 20; Wilma Graham, 17.
City Council of Mapleton: Both were write-in winners: Homer Wisdom, 3; Mike Blevins, 2.
City of Uniontown Council: Jess Ervin, 12; Amber Kelly, 11.
USD 234 Position 4: David Stewart received 723 over Geoff Southwell with 431.
USD 235 Position 4: Brian Stewart, 243.
USD 234 Position 5: Gary Billionis, 947.
USD 235 Position 5: Mike Mason, 242.
USD 234 Position 6: Jamie Armstrong, 981.
USD 235 Position 6: Tyler Martin, 256.
Southwind Extension District: Terry Williams received 1,170 over Ethan Holly, 783.
Fort Scott Community College Board of Trustees: The top three candidates were declared the winners: John Bartelsmeyer, 1,170; Tina Rockhold, 923; Liz Meyer, 689.
Mercy Fort Scott Receives ‘A’ Grade for Keeping Patients Safe
FORT SCOTT, Kan. (November 1, 2017) – Fall report cards are in and Mercy Hospital Fort Scott earned a grade A for keeping patients safe.
The Leapfrog Group just released its fall 2017 Hospital Safety Grades, which score hospitals on how safe they keep their patients from errors, injuries, accidents, and infections. More than 2,600 U.S. general acute-care hospitals were assigned scores and only 832 received an A (32 percent of those surveyed).
“Providing safe care for our community is a high priority for the co-workers at Mercy Hospital Fort Scott,” said President Reta Baker. “The attention to careful hand washing and processes compliance has led our facility into its second year of having a zero percent C-Difficile (C-diff) infection rate. C-diff is an infection often associated with hospital stays. Use of the bar-coding system for medication administration has facilitated a remarkably low error rate.”
“Additionally, the electronic health record has been key to accurate and clear communication across the continuum of care resulting in excellent quality outcomes for our patients. Full credit for our Leapfrog ‘A’ rating goes to the physicians and co-workers who have any part in providing care to our patients.”
“We’re always focused on providing the highest quality care to our patients,” said Dr. Keith Starke, Mercy chief quality officer. “The work done by our co-workers to earn top grades for quality is critical to our patients and noticed by organizations such as Leapfrog that rank hospitals across the country.”
The Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade is calculated by top patient safety experts, peer-reviewed, fully transparent and free to the public. It is updated every six months, once in the fall and once in the spring.
Using 30 evidence-based measures of patient safety, The Leapfrog Group calculated a numerical score for all eligible hospitals in the U.S. The numerical score was then converted into one of five letter grades: A, B, C, D or F. Read more about Leapfrog scoring here.
FSCC Celebrates And Looks At Changes
Celebrates champs
The Fort Scott Community College Meats Judging Team will be celebrated at 4 p.m. Thursday, November 16 at the Ellis Fine Arts Center on the campus.
The team is the 2017A-Division National Champion Meats Judging Team.
“We are incredibly proud of our students and our coach, Jenilee Martin,” FSCC President Alysia Johnston said. “They represent us well. In the last four years, they have won it three times.”
“This was a good bunch,” Coach Jenilee Martin said. “They went through a lot of adversity and came out with a good year.”
Changes: Martin To Resign
Martin, the three-time national championship coach of the team will be resigning December 20, according to Kassie Fugate-Cate, director of strategic communication at FSCC.
She will take a position with the Kansas State Extension Office in Hill City, after working at FSCC for four years, Martin told FortScott.Biz.
“I’ve worked with a lot of great people here,” Martin said. “I came back to FSCC because they cared about their students and the opportunities they give the students.”
“Students, faculty, and staff have taught me a lot of lessons,” she said. “It’s been a fun go.”
“We are saddened that she is going, but we know she’ll be successful wherever she goes,” President Johnston said.
Martin was also a one-half time admissions representative in addition to her coaching duties.
Johnston said the position to replace Martin will change when advertised, from a recruiter to an advisor position.
Changes: FSCC Hires New Administration Employees
Fort Scott Community College recently hired Kassie Fugate-Cate as the newly created position of Director of Strategic Communication. Previously she was an admissions representative at FSCC. In addition, she will remain as Student Activities Coordinator. She started November 6 in her new position. Cate is a resident of Pittsburg.
“We combined positions to use our resources as efficiently as we can,” President Johnston said. “Kassie is getting her masters in public relations.”
Amanda Downing is a new admissions representative, taking the prior position filled by Fugate-Cate. She started November 13.
Also new to the administration at FSCC is Jordan Underwood who is the financial aid assistant that started this semester. Underwood hales from Crestline.
Diabetes Support Group at Mercy Hospital
FORT SCOTT, Kan. (Nov. 9, 2017) — Mercy Hospital Fort Scott will host a Diabetes Support Group on Monday, November 20 at 6 p.m. in the McAuley Conference Center. The session topic is “Diabetes Medications: A look at what’s new in the treatment of diabetes.”
Patty Ryan, Mercy R.N., a diabetes educator, will lead the discussion and share details about options that may work for you.
The support group is open to the public. No registration is required and family members are encouraged to attend. Light refreshments will be served.
To learn more about this topic or other important information regarding managing diabetes, join the Mercy Diabetes Support Group. The group meets the third Monday of every other month. Mark your calendar for meeting dates of 2018: January 15; March 19; May 21; July 16; and September 17.
For more information, contact Patty Ryan, R.N., at 620-223-8412.
Fall Extravaganza Nov. 20 At FSMS
Bourbon County residents are invited to attend the annual VIP Fall Extravaganza, a one-stop shopping, and dining experience, according to Fort Scott Middle School VIP President Stephanie George.
The event is from 5 to 8 p.m. Monday, November 20 at Fort Scott Middle School, 1105 E. Twelfth Street.
“We make about $1000-1500 each year on this particular fundraiser,” George said. ” Combined with other fundraisers our parent organization has been able to help the middle school pay for lots of things over the years: laptops, iPad carts, other technology including software like Accelerated Reader and Flocabular, gift cards for teachers to purchase classroom supplies, microwaves for our students to use at lunchtime, an annual donation to Lori Nelsen’s sewing / textiles classes to purchase fabric and other materials for students who can’t afford them, an annual donation to the School Wellness Committee that works to better student and faculty wellness, and much more.”
Baked goods for Thanksgiving dinner, holiday gifts, holiday music, and a quick meal are some of the items that can be purchased.
Wreaths Across America will have a booth this year. It is a way to honor a family member or another local veteran with the purchase of a wreath for soldiers graves at Fort Scott National Cemetery during the Christmas season.
As an added incentive this year, any district employee who attends the Fall Extravaganza will have a chance to win one of four $25 cash prizes! The lucky winners will be drawn at the end of the evening (need not be present at 8 p.m. to win).
Free childcare will be available.
Participating this year are vendors:
A2Z Photography / Jana Butcher, American Doll Clothes / Janice Robb, Baby Hats, Blankets and Towel Toppers / Jayne F. Cooper, Baked Goods / Community of Christ. Baskets / Jacy Ermel, Bath Salts and Baked Goods / Marianna Daugherty, BBQ Dinner / Washington Workshop, Beaded Crosses and Christmas Décor / Linda Carpenter, Bids & Dibs / Angela Simon, Brandazzle Dezynes / Brandi Spainhoward, Cinnamon Rolls and More / Class of 2018 Parents, Crack Corn, Jams, jellies / Carol Bingesser and Clara Schofield.
Cutee Tutee Boutique / Alisa Nolan, Damsel in Defense / Cherri Burlingame, Farm Toys and Vintage Décor / William and Judy Wallis, Fishing Lures / Russell Hughes, FSMS Technology Products / Adam Feagins, Funky Junktiques / Jennifer Cox.
Gold Canyon / Tina Schilling, Homemade Pumpkin Rolls / Carmen Owen, Home Sewn Items / Micki Kraft, Jewelry and Photographs / Hugh and Janet Huffman, JP Custom Leather / Jim Pruitt.
K & J Blessed & Broken / Kellie Jackson, Kinede’s Mary Kay / Kinede Houdashelt, Little Luxuries LLC / Lynn A. Chaney, Local Book Authors / Joyce Love and Carol Russell, Locust Hill Lamanchas / Sue Reinecke, LuLaRoe Clothing / Victoria Forester.
Magnabilities / Melinda and Stephanie Miller, Maid in Marmaton / Stacey Atkins, Mixed Media Mosaics / Cindi Lipe, Monat Natural Hair Care / Barbara Baugher, Plain Jane’s Soap / Heather Mace and Pamela Walters, Pruvit / Brandi Pitts, Redbud Farms and Nurseries / Tara Allen.
Rodan & Fields / Brandi Pitts and Jena Russell, Scentsy / Geri Vincent, SeneGence Company (Lip Sense) / Rochelle Casner, Shirt Shack / Billy Webster, Sisters Craft Creations / Betty Haynes, Sugar Cookies / Lori Nelsen and Rosemary Harris, Sunshine Boutique / Georgia Brown.
TFI Family Services / Libby Hayden, The Lavender Patch / Betsy Reichard, The Woodworking Dude / Shawn LaSota, Tourtillott Creations / Jenny Tourtillott, Tupperware / Kelly Hall, Unique and Useful Crafts / Ann Tebbets and Ruth Hawkins, Usborne Children’s Books / Elise Herman.
Walker’s Bakery / Jessie Combs and Leeta Walker, WellSpring Acres / Penny Moore, Wolfe Country Creations / Tena Tyler, Wreaths Across America / Schery Rupprecht, Young Living / Suzanne Griffin, Younique / Bridget McGilbray.